World Aids-fighting fund threatened by US

The United States challenged other countries yesterday to pay their share of the world’s premier Aids-fighting fund by the end of September or lose $120m (€97.2m) in US cash.

At issue is financing for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a programme initiated by the UN.

It was supposed to provide roughly $7bn (€5.7bn) a year to fight those diseases. But it is facing a serious budget shortfall that Aids activists say jeopardises efforts to stem the growing epidemic in poor countries.

Yesterday’s announcement sparked more concern.

Congress set aside $547m (€443m) as the US contribution to the fund this year, but on the condition that the US money could not exceed 33% of the fund’s total donations.

It was considered an incentive to ensure other donors pitch in, said Randall Tobias, the US global Aids co-ordinator.

As a result, donations from other countries or private donors had to total $1.11bn (€899m) for the Swiss-based Global Fund to get all the US cash, Tobias said. But he calculates the non-US share is $243m (€196.8m) short.

So the United States is set to withhold a final $120m (€97.2m) contribution, a far higher amount than Aids advocates had expected.

But Tobias announced yesterday he’d make an exception: If other donors make up the shortfall by September 30, he’ll release the US cash after all.

“The US government certainly wants the Global Fund to have this money, but we have to provide it in accordance with US law,” Tobias said. “I am very, very hopeful that the rest of the world will take action.”