The Hill: U.S. can’t be the only one to shoulder the financial responsibility of AIDS
Mark Dybul, professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, board member at Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and former executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

“…The U.S. government is the largest contributor to the Global Fund, but with a caveat. For every dollar provided, other countries must donate two. … The U.S. government effectively leverages contributions to the Global Fund from other countries to ensure the response to the top infectious disease killers is global and does not rest entirely on the backs of U.S. taxpayers. … As budgets tighten, there is temptation to slip back to the false dichotomy and tension between bilateral and multilateral investments in HIV — and global health and development more generally. For 15 years, bipartisan administrations and Congresses have rightly resisted that temptation across party lines. The data are clear. The U.S. government cannot and should not shoulder the global financial or programmatic responsibility alone. By maintaining leadership through both PEPFAR and the Global Fund, Americans reap a remarkable return on investment in the moral authority of the U.S. increased resources from the rest of the world, and many millions of lives saved. That is a legacy to celebrate, and to pledge to continue on World AIDS Day” (11/29).