United Press International - Tuesday, 19 June 2001
William M. Reilly

The largest private gift yet to the fund compares to the $200 million pledged by the United States.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who proposed the fund at an AIDS meeting Abuja, Nigeria, in April, called the Gates' gift a "groundbreaking commitment." He dubbed it a "cornerstone of the emerging global effort to reverse the HIV/AIDS pandemic."

Annan said the scourge could be defeated only through a truly global partnership, bringing together governments, corporations, foundations, civil society and individuals.

"The leadership shown by Bill and Melinda Gates today will not only serve as a powerful example to other private donors and to Governments; in its own right, it will probably also save millions of lives," he said.

Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS, commended the Foundation, noting that its contribution demonstrated the emergence of a "diverse and international partnership -- which is surely the only way we will defeat this epidemic and reverse its terrible consequences."

He urged additional contributors to emulate the example set by the Gates Foundation, saying he hoped the announcement "will catalyze other donors, including other private foundations, to channel major contributions to the Global Fund."

Executive Director Carol Bellamy of the U.N. Children's Fund said the importance of the Gates Foundation's contribution far exceeded its dollar value.

"It is a recognition of the scale of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that threatens individuals, families, countries and economies - and the need to build global and broad-based partnerships to address this crisis," she said. Bellamy also expressed hope that other donors would follow the "splendid example" of the Gates's.

"There is a realization that global problems need global solutions," she said.

Administrator Mark Malloch Brown of the U.N. Development Program said the donation signaled a new phase in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

"At a stroke, Gates has widened the constituency base of the campaign," he said, adding that the contribution "is also a powerful signal to other foundations, businesses, non-profit groups and individuals that they can and must get involved in this epic battle."

The director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, said support for the Global Fund indicated a new approach to combating the pandemic.

Officials said AIDS has claimed 22 million lives, 4 million of them children.
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