FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan 202/546 7961                         

Africa Action Demands Dollars to Match Announcement on AIDS in 
Africa. 

Urges Immediate Increase in Funding to Save Lives This Year; 
Calls for U.S. action on patents and debt cancellation to support
access to anti-AIDS drugs for Africans  

Wednesday, January 29, 2002 (Washington, DC) – At a press 
conference this morning with Members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, Africa Action Executive Director Salih Booker said, “The 
U.S. President’s new Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief comes in 
response to rising pressure from AIDS activists and the 
Congressional Black Caucus, who have fought for a greater U.S. 
response to this most deadly global threat.”    

While Africa Action welcomes the announcement of new money to 
fight HIV/AIDS, Salih Booker noted this morning that this money 
must be made available immediately if it is to save lives and have 
a real impact on the course of the pandemic in Africa and globally. 
Booker emphasized: “Last night’s announcement would be the 
height of cynicism if the President does not now request at least 
$3.5 billion of his new total for funding this year.  This is the U.S.’ 
share of what is urgently needed to fight HIV/AIDS now!”   

According to the White House, the President’s request for 
additional funds to fight HIV/AIDS will not affect the 2003 budget, 
and will only begin in 2004, with an increase of just $700 million. 
Booker noted, “The real measure of the President’s sincerity will be 
in the budget numbers for 2003 and 2004.  Large numbers for 2007 
are meaningless to people who will die this year without access to 
essential medicines.”     

Africa Action criticized the White House failure to increase funding 
for the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS.  Booker noted, “The Global 
Fund is the most important vehicle in the effort to fight the 
pandemic and the U.S. should contribute a far greater share.  The 
new commitment of only $1 billion to the Fund, over a period of 5 
years, would actually undermine Africa’s greatest hope.”   

Africa Action welcomes the President’s shift to emphasize the 
importance of anti-retroviral treatment in fighting HIV/AIDS in 
Africa.  However, Booker said, “U.S. support for treatment must be 
matched with a commitment to ensuring African governments have 
access to affordable medicines including generic drugs, compulsory 
licensing and parallel imports.”  Booker added, “these life-saving 
drugs will remain inaccessible to Africans who need them so long 
as the U.S. continues to push the interests of the pharmaceutical 
companies in international trade negotiations, as happened again 
recently in Geneva.”    

Booker concluded, “Africa’s illegitimate external debts are draining 
$15 billion a year from the War on AIDS.  The spirit and logic of the 
President’s own initiative demand the immediate cancellation of 
these debts.”   

Africa is the epicenter of the global AIDS pandemic.  Home to just 
over 10% of the global population, Africa has more than 75% of the 
world’s HIV/AIDS cases.  President Bush’s Emergency Plan for 
AIDS relief offers an additional $10 billion over 5 years to support 
prevention and treatment efforts in the countries most heavily 
affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean.