Gates Foundation welcomes HR 5501

Tachi Yamada, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program, has applauded the passage of the Tom Lantos and Henry J Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act (HR 5501) by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He said that "this bipartisan bill is an important step toward renewing and strengthening the US commitment to fighting AIDS, TB, and malaria - diseases that, together, kill nearly five million people every year."

Dr Yamada continued: "the bill would increase US support for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Each of these initiatives has proven to be a wise investment of US resources, and has achieved tremendous success in a short period of time. When PEPFAR was launched, it was a bold move - and some were skeptical that it would work. But the evidence is in, and global AIDS spending has been a powerful force for saving lives."