Wednesday, March 25, 2009
WHILE CONGRESS and the president work to remove unnecessary funding from the budget, not all money set aside or earmarked for special projects is bad.
For example, recently Congress approved an appropriation of $900 million for the Global Fund to Fight TB, HIV and Malaria. It is hard to fathom but tuberculosis, which is a curable disease, claimed more than 1 million lives worldwide last year and affected than 13,000 Americans.
The Global Fund, which has widespread support for it accountability, transparency and innovative grants, has saved more than 3.5 million lives and has the promise of achieving more remarkable goals if international funding increases to meet the demand.
There are thousands of diseases and millions of causes that deserve support, but TB is one that has international ramifications. It is important even in this time of economic uncertainty that the U.S. do our part to bring this disease under control and continue or increase our support for the Global Fund and other effective programs and research so that we can soon say TB was ended in the beginning of the 21st century.
Gail Dolson
San Leandro