G8 donors keep your commitments!

G8 countries are turning their backs on their commitment to fund universal access to HIV treatment. The very same reasons that led to the initial commitment remain:

• Millions of people will continue to fall ill, suffer and die painful and unnecessary deaths

• AIDS guts societies of their most productive citizens, hampering, even turning back economic development

• Families and communities disintegrate, orphans run riot
  

• Looking away while millions of people suffer and die unnecessarily means we all become less human
  

These realities do not change, regardless of failing banks or market fluctuations. If we retreat now, the pandemic and its consequences will only grow, and will become ever more daunting.

Its been undeniably proven that with access to treatment people return to work, to raising their children, to contributing to their communities. Its also proven that placing people on treatment can stop the transmission of the HIV virus, reducing the spread of the pandemic.

Establishing the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, PEPFAR, WHO 3X5 initiative, and UNITAID were wise and inspired global actions. Retreating from our commitments is not.

Yesterday, I was trying to explain to my 6 year old daughter the meaning of the word "betray". I don't think I could come up with a better example of betrayal than what we are witnessing now.

G8 citizens, write your MPs, your Senators, your Governors, your elected representatives, whoever they may be, and tell them that the commitment to universal access to HIV treatment must be kept.