NYC AIDS Protest: “Fund the Fund”! Budget Cuts by Major Countries Endanger HIV Patients Worldwide

In Advocacy, News by AHF

Global Fund Funding Demonstration Wednesday, April 6th Advocates to Call on Donor Countries to Reverse Funding Cuts to Global AIDS Programs:

DEMONSTRATION from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (47th and 1st Ave.) followed by 10 a.m. Informal Interactive Civil Society Hearing at United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber (405 East 42nd St).

NEW YORK (April 6, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in collaboration with other civil society organizations, recently launched a global campaign calling on donor countries to commit to fully funding the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The campaign was organized in response to a number of countries scaling down their contributions for the 2014-16 funding period. Sweden recently announced a funding cut of over $36 million USD and Denmark a cut of $20 million last year. While this does not necessarily indicate that Sweden or Denmark’s pledge at the Global Fund Replenishment Conference for the 2017-2019 grant cycle in the Fall will be lower than that from the current funding period, AIDS advocates are concerned other donors might use it to justify their own reduced pledges.

The Global Fund supports responsive, effective, and accountable health programs aimed at ending major epidemics around the globe. As the majority of the Global Fund’s resources are provided by donor countries, funding cuts could potentially endanger millions of lives.

As part of the campaign, advocates will host a RALLY on 47th and 1st Avenue Wednesday, April 6th, followed by the Civil Society Hearing at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, NY.  Advocates from AHF Speak Out, clients and staff from AIDS Center of Queens County, and other AIDS activists will press donor countries to reverse their funding cuts to global AIDS programs. AHF, which is spearheading the ‘Fund the Fund’ campaign, has issued a petition to commit donor countries to meet the Global Fund’s fundraising target of $13 billion. The over 50 participants in today’s protest will target Germany, China, and Japan for their lack of contributions.


WHAT: DEMONSTRATION to urge donor countries to scale up global AIDS funding

WHEN: Wednesday, April 6th 2016: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m

WHERE: 47th and 1st Avenue, NYC, near United Nations Headquarters

WHO:

  • Denys Nazarov, Associate Director of Global Policy for AIDS Healthcare Foundation
  • John Hassell, Regional Director, Washington, DC for AHF
  • Jessica Reinhart, Associate Director of Community Outreach for AHF
  • Other speakers TBD

B-ROLL:    50+ advocates with placards, whistles & banners, 3ft world globe balloons

CONTACTS:

  • Jessica Reinhart, Associate Director of Community Outreach +1 (201) 725-1328 cell
  • John Hassell, AHF Regional Director, Greater Washington, DC Region +1 (202) 774.4854
  • Denys Nazarov, Associate Director of Global Policy + (323) 219-1091 cell

“Now is not the time to retreat on the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS,” said Jessica Reinhart, Associate Director of Community Outreach for AHF. “We are going to hold global leaders in countries like Denmark and Sweden accountable for cutting their potentially lifesaving contributions to the Global Fund and try to persuade them to honor, and at least match, their previous commitments to the Fund in the Fall. We are also going to encourage several other high profile, wealthy countries including Germany, China and Japan—countries that clearly have the resources—to somehow find the political will to really step up in the global fight against AIDS.”

“The Global Fund has made a tremendous impact in terms of lightening the world’s burden of HIV, TB, and malaria,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Failing to ‘Fund the Fund’ not only does the world an enormous disservice, but also endangers the lives of HIV patients who rely on these funds. With the Global Fund Replenishment Conference approaching later this year, now is the time to urge these countries to scale up their funding.”

Several participants in AHF’s rally also plan to attend a lunchtime protest against Denmark’s funding cuts at 1:30 p.m. The afternoon demonstration, organized by Health Global Access Project (GAP), will take place outside the Denmark Consulate (885 2nd Ave, Fl. 18th, New York, New York 10017).

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