Global Fund Needs Western Support, Editorial Says
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is in need of greater support from Western nations, a Toronto Globe and Mail editorial states. The fund, which was established last year to "collect and channel" international money to fight the "three deadliest diseases" in the developing world, is "already running out of money," the editorial says, noting that the lack of support "raises questions about the developed world's commitment to saving lives beyond its borders." According to recent reports, HIV is "spreading much faster than expected" in many parts of the world, including Russia, China, Nigeria, India and Ethiopia, five nations that account for 40% of the world's population. If left unchecked, the HIV/AIDS epidemic will "devastate not only families and communities but, to varying extents, the next-wave countries as a whole," the editorial states. According to the Globe and Mail, the "humanitarian concerns are considerable" and preserving political and economic stability in developing nations is "also a matter of the West's self-interest." Noting that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still growing, the editorial concludes that although the Global Fund is new and is "still building its infrastructure," it "deserves support" because "people are dying in great numbers" (Toronto Globe and Mail, 10/22).
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