Text: USAID to Give $17 Million to UN AIDS Program

28 June 2001

Text: USAID to Give $17 Million to UN AIDS Program

Announcement made on last day of UNAIDS conference

The United States will give $17 million this year to the United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) says.

The new funding was announced June 27 -- the final day of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in New York, according to a USAID press release. The United States is the largest donor to UNAIDS, it said.

USAID works in the more than 50 countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, the release said. Nearly 60 percent of the agency's HIV/AIDS assistance goes to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that deal directly people most vulnerable to infection, the release added.

Following is the text of the press release:

(In the text, "billion" equals 1,000 million.)

(begin text)

June 27, 2001

NEW YORK -- In a signing ceremony at the United Nations today, the U.S. Agency for International Development and UNAIDS signed an agreement for USAID to provide UNAIDS with $17 million this year. The ceremony took place on the final day of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, was created in 1996. USAID worked with other donor governments, United Nations and developing country partners to create UNAIDS. Its role is to catalyze action against AIDS at international, regional and national levels. Since 1996, USAID has provided over $97 million to UNAIDS. The U.S. is the largest donor to UNAIDS.

The $17 million announced today includes funds for general support of UNAIDS's global mission, as well as a portion that is specifically set aside for country-level programs. USAID provides, on average, 25 percent of the annual budget of UNAIDS.

"UNAIDS has played a pivotal role at the global level in the fight against AIDS," said USAID official Duff Gillespie, who represented USAID at the signing ceremony. "We are proud to support them as we continue to work together to fight the AIDS pandemic."

The U.S. government is the world leader in responding to the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS. Since 1986, the U.S. government, primarily through USAID, has dedicated over $1.6 billion dollars for the prevention and mitigation of this epidemic in the developing world.

USAID is working in over 50 of the hardest hit countries around the world. Nearly 60 percent of USAID's HIV/AIDS assistance goes to non-governmental organizations that have direct connections to the poorest of the poor and those most vulnerable to infection.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is the U.S. government agency that provides development and humanitarian assistance worldwide.

(end text)