The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was established last year by the seven richest countries in the world (the G7) and the United Nations to address AIDS, Tb and malaria, which kill over 6 million people each year. The Fund has distributed US$ 2.2 billion to finance 160 AIDS, Tb and malaria programs in 85 countries around the world, but now faces a critical funding gap. Fund The Fund (www.FundTheFund.org) is a global initiative to promote advocacy for increased investment in the Global Fund and pressure G7 countries to mobilize the additional US$ 1.4 billion required to finance the next round of programs.

PLEASE SIGN ON TO THIS LETTER TO G7 HEADS OF STATE
FUND THE FUND
KEEP THE PROMISE

The Fund the Fund campaign is a network of organizations committed to
raising contributions to the Global Fund the Fight AIDS, TB, and
Malaria. We recognize that the Global Fund is the financing mechanism
for fighting the global AIDS crisis and we call upon wealthy
governments to contribute the resources necessary to combat the three
killers--AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria-that threaten to decimate
whole societies.

Fund the Fund contends that wealthy countries have given too little
money to the Global Fund and ignored the immediate, overwhelming need
in the developing world for medicines and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Fund
the Fund demands Heads of State commit at least the amount necessary
to meet the need estimated in the third round of proposals--USD 1.4
billion according to the GFATM officials-by the time of the G8 summit
in Evian, France in June 2003.

People with AIDS and their advocates-at the frontline of the AIDS
crisis-and "Fund the Fund", will not allow the rich governments of
the world to walk away from the Global Fund and betray the hopes of
the 42 million people now living with HIV/AIDS. Heads of state must
not turn their backs on millions of people in need only two years
after authorizing the Fund's creation at the G8 summit in Genoa in
July 2001.

Individuals and organisations from anywhere in the world are welcome
to sign this letter to the heads of the wealthiest counties in the
world by completing the form below. The letter will be delivered to
the media and heads of state at the end of May--directly before the
G8 Summit in Evian. Fill out the form at the end of this email and
send to [email protected].

For more information on Fund the Fund goals and events, go to
www.fundthefund.org

Thank you.

--------------------------------

LETTER TO G7 HEADS OF STATE

Mr. Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada
Mr. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic
Mr. Gerhard Schröder Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers of
the Italian Republic
Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan
Mr. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Mr. George W. Bush, President of the United States

Dear G7 Heads of State,

The annual G8 meetings rightly prioritise action to improve the lives
of the poorest people of the world. That was the impetus for
commitments made at the Okinawa G8 in December 2000 to tackling AIDS,
tuberculosis, and malaria; and again during the 2001 summit in Genoa
where you formally declared your support for the Global Fund to fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (the Fund). Saving and improving
lives was also the impetus for support you have expressed for
increasing access to medicines in developing countries for treating
these and other killer diseases.

The Global Fund is only two years old but has already committed
US$1.5bn to fund high quality grant from 85 countries, and has
accumulated significant successes. But without immediate, dramatic
increases in funding from G7 countries, the Fund will not be able to
sustain and build on these life-saving successes. The Fund's third
round of grant approvals is scheduled for October 2003, and the Fund
is in danger of being unable to meet the demand generated by eligible
projects, because the Fund is virtually out of money.

We, the undersigned, representing concerned groups and individuals
including people living with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, from rich
countries and poor countries, from the northern hemisphere and the
southern hemisphere, call on you, the leaders of the richest
countries in the world, to act urgently to ensure that desperately
needed programs designed to win the war on AIDS, tuberculosis, and
malaria get full funding from the G7. US$1.4bn is urgently needed to
fund the Global Fund's third round of grant requests this year.
According to equitable funding principles, at least US$793m should
come from G7 countries by October 2003 and at least US$8.2bn to
ensure successful rounds in 2004 and 2005. We also urge you to
publicly support policies that promote access to lowest cost
medicines, including quality generics, thereby ensuring that the
greatest number of people gain access to medicines as a result of
your contributions.

This must not be another G7 summit of broken promises and empty
declarations. The wealthiest countries in the world have an
obligation to help reverse the suffering and death caused by AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria. Keeping your promise to fund the Global
Fund is our best hope to reverse the devastation wrought by these
diseases and see the most heavily impacted countries lift themselves
out of poverty.

Yours sincerely,

Fund the Fund Campaign

International Organizations:

* Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)
* International Council of AIDS Services Organizations (ICASO)
* International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

National and Continental Organizations:

* ACT UP East Bay, USA
* ACT UP New York, USA
* ACT UP Paris, France
* ACT UP Philadelphia, USA
* Action AID, UK
* AEDES Foundation, Brussels
* AIDES, France
* AIDS Task Force of Africa Japan Forum, Tokyo
* Aidspan, USA
* Association Nationale de Soutien aux Seropositifs (ANSS), Burundi
* Access Working Group, European AIDS Treatment Group, European AIDS
Treatment Group (EATG), Italy
* German Institute for Medical Mission, Berlin, German
* Grupo Português de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA-Pedro
Santos (GAT), Portugal
* Health GAP (Global Access Project), USA
* Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD), Canada
* LILA Cedius, Italy
* The Massive Effort Campaign, Switzerland
* SENSOA, Belgium
* Stop AIDS Alliance, Belgium
* Student Global AIDS Campaign, USA
* World Development Movement (WDM), London
________________________________________________________
PLEASE SIGN THIS LETTER.

Individuals and organisations from anywhere in the world are welcome
to sign this letter by completing the form below. If you are an
organisation, please let us know whether you would be like to be
listed as a member of Fund the Fund.
SEND TO [email protected]

I am endorsing as an:
[_] Organization [_] Individual [_] Both

Name*
Organisation
City*
Country*
Email address*

Would your organisation like to be a member of Fund the Fund?
[_] YES [_]NO

Fund the Fund would like to send you more information as the campaign
continues. Would you like to receive updates and action alerts from
the Fund the Fund Action Network?
[_] YES [_]NO

--
Sharonann Lynch
[email protected]
Health GAP (Global Access Project)
Tel +1 212 674-9598
Mob +1 646 645-5225
http://www.healthgap.org
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