Letter To House Foreign Affairs Committee Urging Rapid Passage of Expanded and Improved Global AIDS and Health Programs If your organization would like to sign on, please click   here to send us an email. Dear Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, The undersigned write as members of the worldwide movement of organizations concerned about AIDS and global health. We urge you to support passage of Chair's text of the U.S. Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 - a renewed and improved version of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This bill continues and builds on the progress made by current U.S. global health initiatives, and affirms U.S. commitments made to achieve universal access to AIDS treatment, prevention and care, as well as meeting targets pledged against tuberculosis and malaria. In addition to providing improved assistance for prevention of HIV infections, care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, the bill also transitions U.S. global AIDS programs from an emergency phase to a sustainable one with a new focus on country health systems. Impoverished countries must be supported with significant increases in the number of health workers trained and adequately supported so to enable them to do their jobs in their countries of origin. We welcome that bill supports country-led health workforce plans to train and retain the new health workers needed to sustainably achieve good health–and meet the goals the U.S. has already committed to supporting. The U.S.’s one-third share of the health workers UNAIDS projects are necessary to achieve universal access by 2015–five years later than originally promised—is at least 140,000 new health professionals, and we urge you to include this as a hard target. The bill expands prevention options, increasing flexibility for the U.S. coordinator and enabling more comprehensive and country-specific approaches including vital new activities to address the vulnerabilities of women and children, while deleting budget earmarks that limited flexibility at the country level. We also welcome that the bill maintains that 10% of funds be directed to programs assisting orphans and vulnerable children to provide them with services such as care, education, and adequate nutrition. The bill also supports research for new vaccines, microbicides and prevention technologies, and improves program efficiency by strengthening coordination efforts across U.S. and international agencies fighting AIDS, TB, and malaria. The bill establishes in legislation a U.S. malaria program, continuing and building upon the President's Malaria Initiative that has already contributed greatly to improvements in the fight to eradicate this terrible disease. It also includes assistance for activities aiming to prevent and stop the spread of tuberculosis—a disease that knows no borders, as demonstrated by the MDR-TB case in the U.S. last spring. There is a continued need to scale up access to treatment and to get powerful new first and second line regimens to more of the people with HIV in immediate clinical need – the people who will die in the near term without the medicine they need to survive. We applaud also that the bill also affirms the U.S. commitment to support the multilateral Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, while correcting technical fiscal calendar year issues that have threatened sometime to limit the two-thirds match to U.S. investments. To achieve the goals in prevention, treatment and care and to ensure a holistic approach to HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria and the health workforce necessary to keep U.S. commitments, a minimum of $50-to-$59 billion is needed over five years. To demonstrate continued U.S. commitment to partners in the developing world and to show that Americans intend to sustain work against AIDS worldwide through increased investments and sound policies on global health, we urge that you support passage of this legislation with at least $50-$59 billion over five years, and all of the policies and improved program targets in the current draft bill. Thank you for your consideration,   US-Based local, national and international organizations 1.    ACT UP New York, NY 2.    ACT UP Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 3.    ActionAid International USA, USA  4.    ActionAIDS, Philadelphia, PA 5.    Advocates for Youth, USA 6.    Africa Action, USA 7.    African Immigrant & Refugee Foundation, DC 8.    African Services Committee, New York, NY 9.    AIDS Action Baltimore, MD 10.    AIDS Action Council, USA 11.    AIDS Foundation Chicago, Chicago, IL 12.    AIDS Institute, USA 13.    AIDS Policy Project, Philadelphia, PA 14.    AIDS Project Los Angeles, CA 15.    AIDS Treatment News, USA 16.    AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, USA 17.    Allen Rosenfield, Dean, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 18.    American Jewish World Service, USA 19.    American Medical Student Association, USA 20.    American Public Health Association, USA 21.    American Public Health Association's International Health Section, USA 22.    Americans for Informed Democracy, USA 23.    ARENA, NY 24.    Artists for a New South Africa, USA 25.    Association of Nutrition Services Agencies, USA 26.    Brown University AIDS Center, RI 27.    Campaign to End AIDS, USA 28.    Cascade AIDS Project, OR 29.    Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), USA 30.    Centre for Development & Population Activities (CEDPA),USA 31.    Chicago Women's AIDS Project, IL 32.    Church World Service, Int’l 33.    Comboni Missionary Sisters, MD 34.    Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), USA 35.    Community HIV/Hep. Advocates Iowa Network (CHAIN), IA 36.    DC Fights Back, Washington, DC 37.    Dominican Sisters of Hope, USA 38.    End AIDS Now!, Int’l 39.    Essential Action, USA 40.    FeelGood, VA 41.    Foreign aryia Focus, USA 42.    Foreign Policy In Focus, USA 43.    Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI), PA 44.    Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Zimbabwe 45.    Global Action for Children, USA 46.    Global AIDS Alliance, USA 47.    Global Campaign for Microbicides, Int’l 48.    Harm Reduction Coalition, USA 49.    Health Alliance International, Int’l 50.    Health Equity Project, USA 51.    Health GAP (Global Access Project), USA 52.    HIVictorious, Madison, WI 53.    HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University, NY 54.    Housing Works, NY/DC 55.    IFMSA-USA (International Federation of Medical Students' Association), USA 56.    International AIDS Empowerment, TX 57.    International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC), Int’l 58.    International Center for Research on Women, USA 59.    Int’l Community of Women Living w/ HIV/AIDS, Int’l 60.    International Lesbian & Gay Law Association (ILGLaw), Int’l 61.    International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region, USA 62.    International Women’s Health Coalition, USA 63.    Iowans for AIDS Action, IA 64.    Jennifer Hirsch, Assoc. Prof. of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY 65.    John S. James, editor / publisher, AIDS Treatment News 66.    John Snow, Inc, Int’l 67.    Josh Ruxin, Assistant Clinical Professor of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 68.    Jubilee USA Network in Oregon, OR 69.    Jubilee USA Network, USA 70.    June M. Fisher, MD, Director, TDICT Project, Trauma Foundation, San Francisco General Hospital, CA 71.    KAIPPG International 72.    Knowledge Ecology International, Int’l 73.    LA Gay & Lesbian Center, Los Angeles, CA 74.    Lark Lands, MS, PhD, Director, Cofounder of H.O.P.E ,USA 75.    Maryknoll Global Concerns, USA 76.    Mercy Investment Program, USA 77.    Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office, USA 78.    National Council of Jewish Women, USA 79.    Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment, WA 80.    NYC AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN), NY 81.    Office of Justice and Peace, MD 82.    Oxfam America, USA 83.    Partners in Health, International 84.    Pax Christi Denver Group, CO 85.    Philadelphia Area Committee to Defend Healthcare, Philadelphia, PA 86.    Philadelphia FIGHT, PA 87.    Phila. Justice Group, Medical Mission Sisters, USA 88.    Physicians for Human Rights, USA 89.    Positive Health Project, NY 90.    Presbyterian Church (USA), USA 91.    Primer Movimiento Peruano GLBT, NY 92.    Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, American University Washington College of Law 93.    Project Inform, USA 94.    Prototypes, CA 95.    Proyecto SOL Filidelfia - Sida Organizacion Latino Lidergazo, PA 96.    RESULTS, USA 97.    Rev. Nancy Wilson, Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches USA 98.    Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair, Moderator’s Global Justice Team, Metropolitan Community Churches, USA 99.    Richard Bail MD, MPH, President, Communities Without Borders, MA 100.    Share International USA, Int’l 101.    SIECUS (Sexuality Inform & Education Council of the U.S.) 102.    Sibusiso, Inc, Int’l 103.    SisterLove, Inc, Atlanta, GA 104.    Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Detroit, MI 105.    South Carolina Campaign to End AIDS (SC-C2EA), SC 106.    St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction, NY  107.    Street Works, TN 108.    Student Campaign for Child Survival, USA 109.    Students for Equal Health, University of Washington, WA 110.    SGAC, St. Michael’s College, VT 111.    Student Global AIDS Campaign, USA 112.    Women's Center, Montefiore Medical Center, NY 113.    Training for the Development of Innovative Control Technology (TDICT) Project, CA 114.    Treatment Action Group, USA 115.    Ukimwi Orphans Assistance, DC 116.    Union for Reform Judaism, USA 117.    Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, USA 118.    United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society, USA 119.    Universities Allied for Essential Medicine, USA 120.    University Coalitions for Global Health, USA 121.    Usuline Sisters of Tildonk-U.S. Province, USA 122.    Vermont Global Health Coalition, VT 123.    Who's Positive, State College, PA 124.    WE-ACTx (Women's Equity in Access to Care and Treatment), Int’l 125.    Women of Reform Judaism, USA 126.    National Council of Jewish Women, USA 127.    Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases (WORLD), USA 128.    World Conference of Religions for Peace, Int’l     International Organizations   1.    ACT UP-Paris, France 2.    Action Group for Health, Human Rights, and HIV/AIDS (AGHA), Uganda 3.    Africa-Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN), Belgium/Int’l 4.    Africa Public Health Rights Alliance (APHRA), Int’l 5.    African Forum of Faith-Based Organisations in Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS, Ethiopia 6.    Afrihealth Information Projects/Afrihealth Optonet Association, Nigeria 7.    Agua Buena Human Rights Association, Costa Rica 8.    AIDES, France/Int’l 9.    AIDS.org, Int’l 10.    AIDS Access Foundation, Thailand 11.    All-Ukrainian Network of People Living w/ HIV/AIDS 12.    BC Persons With AIDS Society, Canada 13.    Beijing Aizhixing Institute, China 14.    Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Canada 15.    Centennial International Learning School, Philippines 16.    Centre for HIV/AIDS and STD Research, Nigeria 17.    Centro de Promocion y Solidaridad Humana (Ceprosh), Dominican Republic 18.    Charitable Female Foundation, Russia 19.    Christ Soldiers Foundation, Ghana 20.    Coalición ONG SIDA Rep. Dominicana, Dominican Republic 21.    Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS), Uganda 22.    Community Aid Uganda, Uganda 23.    Community Working Group on Health, Zimbabwe 24.    CREAThE O.N.L.U.S, Italy 25.    Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), India 26.    European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Belgium/Int’l 27.    Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria 28.    Freedom Foundation, Int’l 29.    FrontAIDS, Russia 30.    Fundación Huellas, Ecuador 31.    German Doctors for Developing Countries, Germany 32.    Health Rights Advocacy Forum (HRAF), Kenya 33.    Intersect Worldwide, International 34.    Italian League for Fighting AIDS, Italy 35.    Joy for Children, Uganda 36.    Kenya AIDS Intervention Prevention Project Group, Kenya 37.    Kenya Consortium to fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria (KECOFATUMA), Kenya 38.    Kenya Treatment Access Treatment-KETAM, Kenya 39.    Life +, Ukraine 40.    Live Alive Foundation, Nigeria 41.    Malawi Health Equity Network, Malawi 42.    Mariya, Russia     43.    McGill Global AIDS Coalition, Canada 44.    New Light AIDS Control Society, Pakistan 45.    Names Project Philippines, Philippines 46.    Network of Positive Women, Children and Youth, Kenya 47.    Pan African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM), Int’l 48.    People & Planet, United Kingdom 49.    Pinoy Plus Association, Inc, Philippines 50.    Positive Action Foundation, Philippines   51.    Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+), Malaysia 52.    Positive Wave Foundation, Russia 53.    Project “Yasen”, Russia 54.    Public Health Impact Research Center, Nigeria 55.    Red Latinoamericana de Personas vividendo con VIH/SIDA (REDLA+), Uruguay/Int’l 56.    Russian Harm Reduction Network, Russia 57.    Saint Joseph's Matale Youth Organisation (MAYO), Uganda 58.    Southern Africa Treatment Access Movement (SATAMo), Int’l 59.    SIDACTION Int’l, France 60.    Sierra Leone Nurses Association, Sierra Leone 61.    Students And Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT), Zimbabwe 62.    Tanzania National Network of People with HIV/AIDS, Tanzania 63.    Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Thailand 64.    Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa 65.    Treatment Advocacy & Literacy Campaign (TALC), Zambia 66.    VSO, United Kingdom 67.    Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK), Kenya 68.    Zambia HIV/AIDS Back on Course Advocacy Team (ZABCAT), Zambia