Today's Houston Chronicle
As of this year's G8 meeting, however, the Global Fund is struggling to keep its programs alive. The G8 leaders, led by the United States, should pledge to keep this innovative, efficient fund working. They should also launch another measure — praised by almost all leaders in foreign aid and development — to streamline the malaria fight further.It's called "advanced purchase commitment" and promises to put aside money to buy certain vaccines at market price. So far there is no malaria vaccine. That's largely because pharmaceutical companies have no incentive to seek one. Unlike obesity, malaria is a disease of poor countries. There's not much profit in selling them medicine. If the G8 leaders pledge to pay market price when a malaria vaccine arrives, the world might be amazed at how fast the miracle happens.
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