OF NOTE THIS WEEK
Although many global health advocates are optimistic about the $51.7 billion in foreign spending in President Obama's $3.55 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2010, others have expressed concern about a deceleration in global health funding in light of the financial crisis, says KaiserNetwork.org.
The Obama administration may be rethinking foreign assistance programs like PEPFAR, Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS, told the New York Times. Promoting foreign assistance could prove a tough sell when Americans are suffering at home, and Obama might shift financing to other infectious diseases, like malaria and TB.
Also of note, CGD Vice President and Senior Fellow Ruth Levine presented at the 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections on how to balance the priorities of health systems strengthening and disease-specific programs. Other presenters included Dr. Alex Coutinho of the Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute, who presented on the limits and realities of ART scale-up. A webcast of these sessions is available here.
NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS
- The Global Fund will host a mid-term review meeting of its Second Replenishment cycle in Cáceres, Spain, from March 30 to April 1.
- The World Bank releases a costing tool and guidelines for the AIDS Strategy & Action Plan.
OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Obama Commits to Increased HIV/AIDS Support, But Unclear How Much (Voice of America)
- Global Health Advocates Respond to Obama's FY 2010 Budget Proposal (Kaiser Network)
- New Web Site Seeks to Fight Myths About Circumcision and HIV (NY Times)
- 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections Takes Place in Montreal (CROI)
- Mozambique: Girls' Clubs Highlight Sexual Abuse (Plus News)
- Zambia: Breakthrough Imminent in HIV/AIDS Food Supplement (Africa News)
- Study: HIV Quickly Evolving among Large Groups (Reuters)
- The WHO Bulletin looks at the health worker shortage in Africa