OF NOTE THIS WEEK

New research by the Lancet finds that after getting millions of dollars to fight AIDS, some African countries responded by shifting their budget priorities to other sectors, the AP/Washington Post reports. For every dollar received from donors, poor countries in Africa transferred up to $1.14 originally slated for their health budgets elsewhere. Although researchers might have expected a large HIV epidemic to induce governments to increase their spending on health, there was no evidence to suggest that this effect occurred.

Meanwhile, the HIV/AIDS Monitor has published a policy brief to go along with our recent report on how PEPFAR, the Global Fund and World Bank MAP make funding decisions. The brief reinfornces the report's recommendations on what donors can do to link those decisions to recipients' performance.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• The Global Fund and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi partner to launch an exchange-traded fund
• The World Bank reports that the economic crisis is taking a toll on child health and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa
• The World Bank announces that it has committed $100 billion since July 2008, just before the start of the global economic crisis
• The Global Fund signs a memorandum of understanding with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• U.S. Seeks to Rein In AIDS Program (Boston Globe)
• Op-Ed: What Aid Can't Buy in Africa (Time)
• Mozambique: Many Citizens Still Ignorant about AIDS (All Africa)
• Uganda: Health Service Delivery Poor Despite Funds Allocations (All Africa)
• Study: Popular Opinion Leaders Add No Benefit to Intensive HIV Prevention (Aidsmap)
• The Kaiser Family Foundation posts an updated fact sheet about the history, funding and future outlook for PEPFAR

RECENT CGD HEALTH POLICY BLOGS

• Global Health Initiative Could Lead the Way for Broader Foreign Assistance Reform, But Questions Remain By David Wendt

HIV/AIDS MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY IMPACT

• The HIV/AIDS Monitor has been tracking the policy changes among PEPFAR, the Global Fund and the World Bank MAP related to the recommendations that have come out of our research. Explore these changes using our interactive flash tool.