The Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act
On April 2, 2008, the House passed the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States
Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act, H.R. 5501. This bill authorizes $50 billion for the United States’ bilateral and multilateral programs to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria for fiscal years 2009 through 2013. It seeks to continue the bipartisan commitment to aggressively prevent, treat, and care for those living with HIV/AIDS, and cure those with TB and malaria in the least developed countries by launching a second five-year strategy to achieve these goals.
Watch Speaker Pelosi speak in support of the bill:
Following is an overview of some key features of this bill.
Key Features of HIV/AIDS Policy
- Overturns the controversial and ineffective 1/3 abstinence-only requirement that applies to global HIV/AIDS prevention funding and instead provides a new requirement for evidence-based, “balanced funding” for abstinence, fidelity, and condoms.
- Authorizes the expenditure of global HIV/AIDS funding to provide HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services in family planning programs supported by the U.S. government.
- Increases the authorization for U.S. contributions to the multilateral Global Fund from $1 billion to $2 billion per year.
- Enhances programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and strengthens programs to address HIV transmission to women and youth more comprehensively.
- Authorizes HIV/AIDS programs to include linkages to food and nutrition programs to support individuals with HIV/AIDS and those who are in treatment for the disease.
- Strengthens language on countering HIV/AIDS for victims of sex trafficking.
- Authorizes $41 billion in funding for programs to combat HIV/AIDS for FY 2009-2013 out of the overall $50 billion authorized by the bill.
Key Features of Tuberculosis Policy
- Creates linkages and requires patient referrals between HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programs.
- Creates a new strategy to stop tuberculosis by enhancing testing and treatment in countries with high TB rates.
- Creates new strategies for attacking MDR and XDR forms of drug-resistant TB.
- Provides assistance for the World Health Organization Stop Tuberculosis Partnership to meet WHO goals to cut TB deaths and infections in half by 2016.
- Authorizes $4 billion in funding for programs to combat TB for FY 2009-2013 out of the overall $50 billion authorized by the bill.
Key Features of Malaria Policy
- Requires the President to develop a comprehensive 5-year strategy to combat malaria globally and strengthen United States leadership against this disease.
- Creates a new Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat Malaria Globally.
- Authorizes United States contributions to the WHO Roll Back Malaria Partnership to improve capacity of countries with high rates of malaria to address the disease.
- Supports Center for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health clinical research for new diagnostics, treatments, and interventions to prevent, cure and control malaria.
- Authorizes $5 billion in funding for programs to combat malaria for FY 2009-2013 out of the overall $50 billion authorized by the bill.