Canada Should Increase Its Funding Commitment to Global Fund, Reinvigorate G8, G20 to Meet Prior Commitments, Global Responsibilities

In a Globe and Mail opinion piece, James Orbinski and James Fraser, co-founders of Dignitas International, reflect on the threat of G8 nations retracting the commitments promised at Gleneagles in 2005 to ensure universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010: "Reduced G8 funding is already leading to systemic drug shortages, with deadly consequences for those receiving or awaiting treatment, devastating overstretched health systems, and threatening global health security," they write.

The authors note how drug shortages can lead to increased resistance to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis drugs -- an issue that they stress threatens global security -- before writing, "The moral, legal and security arguments that led the G8 and the U.N. General Assembly to commit to universal access to HIV treatment by 2010 have not changed. A funding retreat by the G8 is shortsighted in light of the tremendous progress the world has made and the threat that still looms."

"This October, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will oversee the 2011-2013 Global Fund Round 10 replenishment meeting in New York. To achieve universal access targets by 2015, $20-billion (U.S.) in pledges is needed. There is a shortfall of $11-billion," the authors write, before calling upon Canada to "increase its funding to 5 percent of the Global Fund's budget, or $1-billion. ... This would enable Canada to be the leader that it is capable of being, and to work to bring both the G8 and the G20 to meet their prior commitments and global responsibilities" (6/23).

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