OF NOTE THIS WEEK

A recent New York Times article on global AIDS funding in Uganda makes that claim that Uganda is just "the first and most obvious [example] of how the war on global AIDS is falling apart". While the article highlights the declining situation in Uganda, "where major clinics routinely turn people away", it cites rising cases in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania and Botswana of drug shortages, drug expiration, and limited treatment slots due to funding freezes. The article also mentions growing pessimism among the those leading the fight, where the $10 billion of donor aid each year only goes so far against the estimated $27 billion it would actually cost to control the epidemic each year.

Given this funding crisis, donors will be pressed to do more with less. Performance-based funding, where funding allocations are determined based on a recipient’s performance against a measurable target, and "Cash on Delivery" aid, where donors commit to pay a specific amount of money for a specific measure of progress, are two such opportunities for donors to not only ensure the greatest value for their money, but to also ensure accountability towards shared goals. This past Monday, the HIV/AIDS Monitor team launched our latest report on performance based funding. At the event, a representative from each of the three organizations we monitor as well as a performance-based funding expert participated in the lively and informative discussion. Visit here and here for more information on the event. In addition, please see here for a recently published working paper where CGD colleague Mead Over and co-author Timothy Hallett apply the idea of COD aid to HIV/AIDS prevention.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• PEPFAR launches increased commitment to scale up gender-based violence approaches
• The Global Fund says it is recruiting Technical Review Panel experts
• The World Bank on Tuesday released a new five-year Reproductive Health Action Plan to help poor countries reduce their high fertility rates and prevent the widespread deaths of mothers and children.
• The World Bank and USAID announce the start of a bi-monthly debate series to examine emerging issues in today's HIV response

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• As the Need Grows, the Money for AIDS Runs Far Short (NY Times)
• WHO Sees Good Progress on UN Health Goals for Poor (Reuters)
• Uganda: Minister's Turnaround on HIV Bill Raises Concern (IRIN/PlusNews)
• Safaids, Cida Launch World Cup HIV Awareness Project (The Herald)
• Kenya Hosts Regional Meeting on Family Planning (Capital News)
• PEPFAR Expands Caribbean AIDS Programs (AFP)
• Hunt for HIV Vaccines Renewed by Gene Insight, Scientists Say (Bloomberg)

RECENT CGD HEALTH POLICY BLOGS

• Global AIDS Donors Share Challenges and Opportunities for Performance Based Funding By David Wendt
• The AIDS War may not be falling apart, but it IS falling behind By Mead Over
• Drug Resistance Gets a Hearing on Capitol Hill 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.