OF NOTE THIS WEEK

The Obama administration has proposed a 9 percent increase in funding for global health needs in its 2011 budget, the Wall Street Journal reports. The budget for global AIDS treatment and prevention would increase about 2 percent to almost $7 billion, while the global health budget for USAID would jump 25 percent to $3 billion, according to Bloomberg. The increase is primarily for health programs in poor countries that will build on U.S.-funded efforts to combat AIDS, said Jenny Peterson, spokeswoman for the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. In a blog post, Nandini Oomman shares her initial thoughts on the simultaneous release of both the FY2011 budget and the release of the Global Health Initiative consultation draft and encourages our readers to respond to the administration's call for comments.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• PEPFAR publishes a consultation document on the U.S. Global Health Initiative
• World Bank President Robert Zoellick discusses investments in innovative health applications in a speech to the African Union summit
• The World Bank and Microsoft announce a partnership to reinforce social and economic development in Africa by leveraging information and communication technology

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Obama Boosts World Health Programs 9% to $8.5 Billion (Bloomberg)
• HIV/AIDS Drug Puzzle Cracked (Reuters)
• Study Suggests High HIV Rate Among African Teens (BusinessWeek)
• Uganda: Continent's Governments Watch Anti-Gay Bill Debate (All Africa)
• Zambia: Refugees and HIV/AIDS (Zambia Post)
• Southern African Development Community Hosts Workshop on HIV/AIDS MDGs (Botswana Sunday Standard)
• Gates Foundation to Double Spending on Vaccines (NY Times)
• Eight global health agencies, including the Global Fund and the World Bank, call for action on health data in a PLoS Medicine essay

RECENT CGD HEALTH POLICY BLOGS

• U.S. Global Health Initiative: An Opportunity to Provide Short (and Useful) Comments on a Tall Order By Nandini Oomman
• A Global Tour of Drug Resistance By Rachel Nugent

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.