U.S. Official Appeals for More Money for Global AIDS Fund

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who currently chairs the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, appealed to Europe Tuesday to urgently give more money to the project. Thompson held talks with top European Union officials to see what they could do to meet the shortfall, which he said could threaten projects aimed at treating HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB, mostly in Africa and the Caribbean.

"The fund faces a shortage of over a billion [U.S.] dollars," Thompson told the European Parliament's committee on development and cooperation. "That is something we cannot allow to happen." Thompson told EU lawmakers and European Commission President Romano Prodi that the Fund would need about US$1.6 billion by October to finance its third round of projects. An additional US$3.8 billion would be needed to fund projects in 2004.

The United States has set aside $1 billion this year for the Fund -- but only if other countries come up with money as well. Otherwise, the U.S. contribution could only be $200 million.

The EU's head office contributed US$133 million to the Fund last year, but has not yet decided what amount it would give for 2003. Of the 15 EU member nations, only Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Luxembourg and Belgium have made separate commitments totaling US$338 million this year.

Thompson said the Fund would be holding a donor conference for the program in July to assess the shortage, and beyond government contributions, business should also increase funding. Thompson added that French President Jacques Chirac would raise the issue during this year's Group of Eight leaders summit in Evian, France, June 1-3.

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