VOA News examines how the recession will be a factor in U.S. funding decisions about PEPFAR and other global health initiatives. According to VOA, the Obama administration’s proposed funding for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in 2010 is “higher than the current fiscal year. However, the proposed increase is lower than in some years past.”

The news service reports that U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby “says the Obama administration is committed to fighting” HIV. Goosby noted the economic situation is “a reality that continues to reverberate with budgetary discussion within the administration…and how it impacts the deficit. And those conversations have predominated in the thinking as we move into 2010, 2011 in budget discussions.” He added, “The trajectory for PEPFAR expansion in the first five years is not going to be reflected for the immediate future. But it does not reflect a change in commitment or emphasis.”

The article also includes Goosby’s comments on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention as well as the recent appeal (.pdf) by the International AIDS Society for “sustained political leadership and financing by the G8 and other donors to maintain recent momentum” in HIV/AIDS. Goosby said, “I think that is a reasonable challenge for the International AIDS Society to call upon world leaders to continue to acknowledge…there indeed is a collective responsibility…by resource rich countries…around how resource rich countries relate to resource poor countries in helping to support their response to what is an overwhelming epidemic” (De Capua, 10/8).