Bush spending bill allocates $1.3 billion increase to fund international HIV/AIDS, TB programs

President Bush on Thursday signed a $463.5 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year 2007 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programs, the AP/Fox News reports (AP/Fox News, 2/15).

The resolution brings the total for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to $4.5 billion.

The $4.5 billion for PEPFAR includes $3.2 billion for the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative, $712 million for USAID's Child Survival and Health Program, and $494 million for CDC and HHS global HIV/AIDS activities.

Of these amounts, $724 million from PEPFAR is allocated for the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with $625 million coming from the State Department and USAID and $99 million from HHS.

In addition to the PEPFAR funding, $248 million is allocated to expand programs under the President's Malaria Initiative, an increase of $149 million.

The resolution also allocates an additional $75.8 million in funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides care and services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., to bring its funding to $1.2 billion.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the resolution (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/15).

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