Developing Nations Urge Global Fund to Give Nations With High Infection Rates ‘More Say’ in Operations

Several developing nations on Wednesday said that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria should be altered to give African nations and other countries with high HIV infection rates "more of a say" in the fund's operations, Reuters reports. Speaking to the World Health Assembly -- the governing body of the World Health Organization -- a representative from Botswana said, "We recommend that Africa's representation on the board ... be reviewed to make sure that it is in proportion to the burden of the disease." The executive board of the global fund consists of 18 representatives: seven from developing nations; seven from developed countries; two from non-governmental organizations; and two from private corporations. Botswana, which did not receive any money when the fund awarded its first round of grants, said that developing nations "did not have enough time to put together the kind of [proposal] that the fund required." Botswana's representative said that the fund's guidelines should be more "user-friendly" for developing nations. Some countries also stated that WHO should have a greater role in operating the fund. Other countries expressed concerns that the fund may not remain financially solvent if donations taper off (Waddington, Reuters, 5/15).