Funding the Fight
The question usually arises about how money for the top 3 killers of the world -- HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria -- gets distributed and where it comes from.
I have noticed several posts on this blog about what one can do to change things for the better. I've felt perplexed by the same question at times after seeing so much poverty and feeling so helpless on this trip.
As with many things in life much of the solution to getting a grip on malaria and AIDS boils down to sufficient resources. The financial piece has a big impact on why malaria and the other 'big 2' have yet to be eradicated in Africa. In my discussions with Louis, I asked him to explain to me what the Global Fund is that he speaks about so often. Louis, who is with Global Health Advocates, is also board member for the malaria section of the Global Fund and has first-hand experience with it.
The Global Fund is probably a little-known entity to many Americans. It is a war chest of money that was established by Kofi Annan and the United Nations to increase the resources to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria -- the world's most devastating diseases -- and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need.
In a nutshell, the fund consists of donor countries and recipient countries. The U.S., naturally, is one of the donor countries. The fund supplements money already in place for these causes in recipient countries. Recipient countries write grants to apply for funds, then the proposals are reviewed through an independent review process. Once granted, the recipient country is given the freedom to use the money to implement/supplement programs according to its needs.
While most people I've spoken to seem to think the Global Fund is a great vehicle to help, clearly there is much still to be done in terms of fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB, and more money needed to get control of these diseases. That is apparent by the number of people who are still dying.
Louis has expressed numerous times that it would take a mere $3 billion a year, each year, for 10 years to wipe out malaria worldwide. For the average person that may seem like an exorbitant amount of money. But in reality it is quite small compared with other governmental expenditures. Currently, the U.S. national debt clock shows the country is at $8 trillion. The war in Iraq will soon exceed $300 billion, according to recent news reports. That is the U.S.' share alone.
The dispersement of Global Fund money is broken down into 'rounds.' The current funding round is No. 5. The total amount of money approved for all five rounds so far is U.S. $ 4.3 billion over two years to support programs for the 'big 3' in 128 countries. The shortfall of funding to eradicate these diseases is glaring when looking at the need (Louis' estimate) vs. what is available. Between round 4 and 5, the funding has been cut dramatically for both HIV and malaria.
From my viewpoint, the heart of the problem with funding the fight does not seem to stem from a lack of financial ability, but more from a lack of it being a priority in the eyes of empowered nations.
The issues with funding form a complex web compounded by politics, race, gender, and economic empowerment. Africa has long been overlooked, partially, from what the experts on our travels have said, because it does not bear the economic fruit other continents do and sadly because of race.
Louis echoes a sentiment that I have heard from experts -- black and nonblack -- both in America and Africa, "Nobody cares about poor, black babies in Africa," he says. "Every time a child dies here [from malaria], it is because we could not get $2.40 to the mother."
I and the other journalists on the trip have discussed the reality that malaria's devastation in Africa is often a hard sell to newsroom managers in the States, and HIV across the board is going under the radar, too, with more advancements in treatment. I think that maybe it isn't that citizens of the developed world (who can make a difference) don't care about these topics, I think it is more likely that they don't know to.
More to come on funding...
Related Topics: The Global Fund: Fighting Malaria in Niger, World Health Organization: Global Malaria Programme
Technorati Tags: theglobalfund, fight malaria, africa
I have noticed several posts on this blog about what one can do to change things for the better. I've felt perplexed by the same question at times after seeing so much poverty and feeling so helpless on this trip.
As with many things in life much of the solution to getting a grip on malaria and AIDS boils down to sufficient resources. The financial piece has a big impact on why malaria and the other 'big 2' have yet to be eradicated in Africa. In my discussions with Louis, I asked him to explain to me what the Global Fund is that he speaks about so often. Louis, who is with Global Health Advocates, is also board member for the malaria section of the Global Fund and has first-hand experience with it.
The Global Fund is probably a little-known entity to many Americans. It is a war chest of money that was established by Kofi Annan and the United Nations to increase the resources to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria -- the world's most devastating diseases -- and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need.
In a nutshell, the fund consists of donor countries and recipient countries. The U.S., naturally, is one of the donor countries. The fund supplements money already in place for these causes in recipient countries. Recipient countries write grants to apply for funds, then the proposals are reviewed through an independent review process. Once granted, the recipient country is given the freedom to use the money to implement/supplement programs according to its needs.
While most people I've spoken to seem to think the Global Fund is a great vehicle to help, clearly there is much still to be done in terms of fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB, and more money needed to get control of these diseases. That is apparent by the number of people who are still dying.
Louis has expressed numerous times that it would take a mere $3 billion a year, each year, for 10 years to wipe out malaria worldwide. For the average person that may seem like an exorbitant amount of money. But in reality it is quite small compared with other governmental expenditures. Currently, the U.S. national debt clock shows the country is at $8 trillion. The war in Iraq will soon exceed $300 billion, according to recent news reports. That is the U.S.' share alone.
The dispersement of Global Fund money is broken down into 'rounds.' The current funding round is No. 5. The total amount of money approved for all five rounds so far is U.S. $ 4.3 billion over two years to support programs for the 'big 3' in 128 countries. The shortfall of funding to eradicate these diseases is glaring when looking at the need (Louis' estimate) vs. what is available. Between round 4 and 5, the funding has been cut dramatically for both HIV and malaria.
From my viewpoint, the heart of the problem with funding the fight does not seem to stem from a lack of financial ability, but more from a lack of it being a priority in the eyes of empowered nations.
The issues with funding form a complex web compounded by politics, race, gender, and economic empowerment. Africa has long been overlooked, partially, from what the experts on our travels have said, because it does not bear the economic fruit other continents do and sadly because of race.
Louis echoes a sentiment that I have heard from experts -- black and nonblack -- both in America and Africa, "Nobody cares about poor, black babies in Africa," he says. "Every time a child dies here [from malaria], it is because we could not get $2.40 to the mother."
I and the other journalists on the trip have discussed the reality that malaria's devastation in Africa is often a hard sell to newsroom managers in the States, and HIV across the board is going under the radar, too, with more advancements in treatment. I think that maybe it isn't that citizens of the developed world (who can make a difference) don't care about these topics, I think it is more likely that they don't know to.
More to come on funding...
Related Topics: The Global Fund: Fighting Malaria in Niger, World Health Organization: Global Malaria Programme
Technorati Tags: theglobalfund, fight malaria, africa
3 Comments:
There should be ways to monitor how the fund is being channelled. If there are, fine !!
Although the fund is insufficient, there is number of NGOs that get funded and care little to beneficiaries. In the other hand, there are some responsible and caring NGOs but they find it difficult to acquire the funding. They claimed to be singled out by rigorous application processes. I had also learned that many governments and affiliated organizations are excluded from receiving Global Fund, if that is true, there may be a rift between governments and NGOs. Please Cherrie, would you let us know through your finding how the funds for AIDs, TB and Malaria reach the intended?
Musoma, Tanzania.
Cherie, I agree with your opinion as to why there has not be much development with the eradication of the big 3. The troubles of Africa and its people have never been a priority to the nations that have the means to help Africa. As it's been said, nations do not have friends, but nations have interests. Just as in the previous comments, we are very curious to clearly understand the itinerary of the global funds from the developped countries to the ultimate beneficiaries.
I came across your article while doing research for a paper I'm doing on the huge discrepancy between the funding for HIV/AIDS and malaria. While running an orphanage in the rural bush of Zambia I got to see first hand the results of this killer. I've found myself running around frantically trying to find the life saving drugs needed to treat one of my little boys who contracted malaria plus plus. During rainy season I couldn't keep enough medication on hand to treat malaria. Even the $2 to $3 per treatment became more than I could manage. People need to be made aware that malaria has the potential to become a biggest killer than AIDS and that a child is a child. Regardless of the color of their skin, they are precious and worth saving.
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