Increased TB funding included in Global AIDS bill
Associated Press, 7/25/08
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved $4 billion to fight the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in foreign countries as part of a Global AIDS bill that President Bush has championed.
The legislation – which extends funding for the expiring President's Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – will provide $48 billion over the next 5 years to combat AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The foreign assistance bill almost triples funding for the initiative, part of which will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
Congressional approval of the legislation comes on the heels of a new CDC study which cited the need for better control of foreign-born TB cases. In the U.S., the TB rates of immigrants are significantly higher, particularly among those born in Africa and Southeast Asia. The report concluded that the U.S. should beef up its global TB efforts as part of its drive to reduce its incidence domestically.
The reauthorization of PEPFAR was hailed by health officials and leaders of both parties as a major and worthy investment to combat the deadliest infectious diseases across the globe. AIDS, TB and malaria are the deadliest infectious diseases, killing approximately 5 million people across the globe each year. TB alone claims close to 1.7 million people annually and is also the leading cause of death among people with AIDS.
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