Washington File - February 2, 2004

The fact sheet notes that President Bush has budgeted $2.8 billion in FY 2005 to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, more than any U.S. administration has ever devoted to the fight against these diseases.

Following is the text of the fact sheet:

February 2, 2004

The President's Fiscal Year 2005 Budget for the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

The President's Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Continues Strong Commitment to Fighting AIDS

OVERVIEW

The President has budgeted $2.8 billion in FY2005 to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, more than any administration has ever devoted to the fight against these diseases.

$1.45 billion will be available to carry out the massive focused program of integrating treatment, care and prevention to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in 15 countries that are home to approximately 50 percent of the HIV infections in the world.

Another $1.17 billion will be used for existing bilateral programs to support HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs and research. The budget continues the President's pledge to provide $200 million per year through 2008 in support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Keeping his promise of ramping up funding over five years, the President's FY2005 budget is 16 percent above FY2004 and 78 percent more than FY2003.

The FY2005 request represents an increase in spending on international HIV/AIDS assistance of 236 percent since the President took office in 2001.

The United States Remains the Leader in Global AIDS Funding

The President's Plan is the largest international health initiative ever to target a single disease.

The U.S. is continuing to show unprecedented global leadership and commitment in funding the global AIDS emergency. In 2002 and 2003, the U.S. gave international contributions greater than those of all other donor governments combined.

Assuming level funding by other donors, U.S. international contributions in 2004 will be approximately twice those of the rest of the world's donor governments combined.

President Bush has made fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic a priority of U.S. foreign policy. The President's Plan commits to a robust, 5-year, $15 billion, multi-faceted approach to combating the disease by treating 2 million people, caring for 10 million and preventing 7 million new infections in 15 focus countries; continuing bilateral programs; and using multilateral approaches like the Global Fund.

U.S. Continued Support for the Global Fund

Supporting the promising work of the Fund, the U.S. has contributed $623 million to date and has pledged a total of $1.97 billion from the inception of the Fund through 2008 (with annual contributions not to exceed one-third of the total contributions to the Fund each year beginning in 2004).

The U.S. remains the largest donor to the Fund and accounts for 37.4% of total pledges and 31.1% of contributions as of January 30, 2004.
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