Sen. Frist Introduces Bipartisan Bill Allocating $700 Million to Global AIDS Fund

Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) this week introduced legislation (S 1032) that would appropriate $700 million over two years to the Global AIDS and Health Fund proposed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in April, the New York Times reports. Last month, President Bush made an initial pledge of $200 million toward the fund, which the bill would include (Crossette, New York Times, 6/14). The International Infectious Diseases Control Act, supported by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), would authorize $200 million in 2002 and $500 million in 2003 to be placed in a global trust fund at the World Bank. The bill states, "Prevention of new infections is the key, although treatment and care for those infected by HIV/AIDS is an increasingly critical component of the global response" (Garrett, Newsday, 6/14). Britain and France have also pledged to contribute to the fund, and Swiss insurance company Winterthur Insurance has agreed to donate $1 million. In creating the global fund, Annan called for $7 billion to $10 billion in contributions (USA Today, 6/14). Last week, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) introduced a House bill supporting the global fund and raising the HIV budget of USAID. According to Newsday, instead of specifying a dollar amount for the global fund, the House bill "leav[es] authorization open to the White House" (Newsday, 6/14).