The president renews America’s commitment to the global fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease

WASHINGTON – The ONE Campaign commends President Obama for keeping America at the forefront of the global fight against HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases. We applaud his 2014 budget request for $1.65 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. It is a pivotal moment in the international effort to combat these diseases. Compared to a decade ago, 7,256 fewer children die every day from preventable, treatable diseases – that’s 2.65 million lives saved every year. This progress requires political leadership and momentum in order to be sustained.

Bono, U2 lead singer and co-founder of ONE, said:

President Obama’s budget puts the world on a winning path to finally beat AIDS, TB and malaria. These killer diseases aren’t quite on the ropes but they are teetering; now, thanks to this budget, we’re closer than ever to delivering the knockout punch. All of us at the ONE Campaign are grateful for the President’s commitment, and to the ongoing commitment from Republican and Democratic leaders to support these life-saving programs.

The importance of American leadership in improving the lives of the world’s poorest people was underscored by Bono in a recent speech at the TED2013 conference, in which the U2 front man and ONE co-founder noted that global extreme poverty has already been cut in half over the past 20 years and, if we remain on the current trajectory, could be virtually eliminated by 2030.

Tom Hart, US Executive Director of ONE, says the president’s 2014 budget addresses critical health and development needs in the poorest parts of the world.

“Faced with difficult decisions, we are pleased President Obama has prioritized funding for programs that protect children through basic childhood vaccinations, give farmers the skills and resources to help feed their families and save countless lives from preventable diseases,” he says. “These programs are achieving tangible results for a fraction – less than one percent – of the federal budget.”

Hart says ONE also supports the president’s proposal to overhaul the way the U.S. delivers food aid.

“Obama’s food aid reform is a bold step towards a more efficient system in which more food reaches the hungry more quickly and at a lower cost to U.S. taxpayers,” he says. “These reforms are long overdue and especially important as we must wring as much value from every assistance dollar as possible.”

With regard to PEPFAR, America’s bilateral program fighting global HIV/AIDS, ONE would like to see a return to 2012 funding levels, and the increase in next year’s budget from 2013 levels is a step in the right direction.

“The president’s strong commitment to The Global Fund is particularly crucial,” says Hart. “Both for the good it will do and the example it sets for other donors around the world. The pressure is now on other nations to step up to make bold three-year pledges to the Fund later this year.”

ABOUT ONE
ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 3 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. For more information please visit www.ONE.org.