AHF and a coalition of over 135 organizations from 16 countries launched a campaign and an online petition today urging the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim to change the way the Bank defines Middle-Income Countries (MIC).
The World Bank designates countries where people make on average more than $2.86 per day as MICs. These countries are considered to be “not poor” and as a result receive far less assistance from the wealthy nations and have to pay higher prices for essential HIV medicines and commodities.
However, $2.86 per day is not a Middle-Income wage. For comparison, the International Poverty Line is $1.25 per day—only slightly higher than the MIC threshold. Today, 75% of the world’s poor, and the majority of people living with HIV/AIDS, reside in the MICs.
This must change! The World Bank needs to adjust the MIC designation so that it better represents the economic realities of the people on the ground. Please join us in calling on Dr. Kim to take immediate action to address this crisis by signing the online petition—send your e-letter to the World Bank today!
