At the annual G8 summit, the United States pushed for a timetable for each country contributing funds to the fight against poverty. Meanwhile, at home, the U.S. Senate passed the historic AIDS, TB and Malaria Bill.

July 2008

This month, world leaders and U.S. legislators took significant steps to continue battling AIDS, malaria, and poverty.

At the G8 summit in Japan — the annual meeting of the "Group of Eight" industrialized countries — world leaders pledged to maintain commitments made in 2005 to battle global poverty and disease. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Global AIDS, TB and Malaria Bill reauthorization moved closer to becoming law, following its passage in the Senate.

Still committed to 2005 promises

In 2005, G8 leaders meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, made a historic commitment to help end extreme global poverty. The Gleneagles commitment was the greatest increase in the rich world's commitments to the poor since the end of World War II.

This year, several groups on the front lines of the global poverty fight mobilized their constituents to express support for the 2005 G8 commitments. World Vision was among them, with more than 2,600 people sending messages to President Bush.

World Vision commends the G8 leaders for retaining their 2005 financial commitments to fight global poverty. "The reaffirmation of these promises is certainly a step in the right direction," said Robert Zachritz, World Vision's U.S. director of advocacy and government relations. But more still needs to be done to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are met by 2015.

Timetables established

Some countries are doing better than others at keeping up with their commitments; the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany are making progress.

At the summit, the U.S. government pushed for a timetable from each country detailing its increase in African aid in the next five years in order to meet the $60 billion goal. Although the extended five-year deadline delays some of the aid for Africa, this renewed commitment indicates concerted progress in the fight against global poverty and disease.

"It is commendable that the U.S. government and other G8 leaders pushed to establish a timetable to monitor commitments over the next five years," said Zachritz, "yet it remains a tragedy that these commitments are still not enough to meet the MDGs by 2015.

"Now, G8 leaders must follow through and increase their commitments to ensure that preventable childhood deaths are either drastically reduced or eliminated."

Progress on U.S. AIDS Bill

Meanwhile, here in the United States, the Senate voted to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and significantly increase funding for the global response to AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The AIDS, TB and Malaria Bill constitutes a significant portion of the U.S. contribution to the global AIDS battle — a key promise made at the historic 2005 G8 summit.

The House of Representatives passed the measure earlier this year. The Senate bill now must be reconciled with the House version. If the House passes the Senate bill as is, it would then go directly to the president for his signature. If not, both the House and Senate will have pass the new agreed-upon bill.

This legislation authorizes the programs but does not fund them. The money will have to be approved by Congress in a separate appropriations bill.

Zachritz commended lawmakers for their bipartisan efforts. "This important step heeds the broad public support of the many American voters who recognize the moral imperative of responding to AIDS and other devastating global health crises in developing nations."