(New York) As the second board meeting of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) draws to a close in New York City, Board members decided to disburse money to grantees at a level that bankrupts the Fund's money on hand.

The second round of Fund disbursements will come in or around September; GFATM members claim that funding requests for the second round will be much larger, as applicants will have more time to complete quality proposals. The contributions to the Fund, already paltry, will not be enough to cover the overwhelming need of countries as they submit proposals to provide HIV/AIDS treatment.

Activists claim the Fund missed an opportunity to save lives now. They point to the fact that half the countries hardest hit by HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria will not be reached by Fund resources in this cycle. In addition, the few proposals that included AIDS drug access will result in treatment for no more than 40,000 people, out of the 10 million worldwide in need of immediate treatment.

"This can not be just another Fund--the Board members must re-commit themselves to closing the deadly gap in access to life-extending medicines by prioritizing funding for HIV treatment," said Sharonann Lynch of Health GAP.

"Proposals for HIV treatment must be prioritized front and center for the second round of funding," said Atiqa Chajai of Association de Lutte Contre le Sida (ALCS), a community AIDS organization in Morocco.

According to a press statement released by Milly Katana, Global Fund board member, the developing country NGO delegation "will call on Southern countries to lead by example by committing substantial funds and submitting innovative, treatment-inclusive proposals that would bring treatments for drug-resistant malaria and tuberculosis, as well as antiretrovirals to regions that need them most."

Activists contend it is time to redress 15-years of donor countries discouraging countries from developing treatment programs and refusing to include treatment as part of bilateral programs. They point to the fact that the ambitions of the Fund were significantly scaled back by donor countries. Several developing countries reported external pressure by donor countries to scale down their Fund requests. The Financial Times (22 April 2002) reported a case where the government of Malawi was pressured to decrease the scope and amount requested in their proposal.

"The second round of funding will be a disaster unless there are new resources from the U.S. and other donor countries, and unless the Board puts HIV treatment front and center," said, Pearl Nwashili of Stop AIDS Nigeria, "The Fund must not betray the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS that hung their hope, their future on this Fund to fill the empty medicine cabinets."

Shortly Congress will consider a request for $700 million for the Global Fund for 2002, which would likely leverage dramatic increases in donor country contributions.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-sponsor of the amendment said "We must not move at a snails pace as this plague gallops away from us."

Activists demand: