The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is marking its 10th anniversary. But celebrations have been subdued because of a lack of donations needed for future projects. The United States is being called on to lead efforts to replenish the fund, in a time of worldwide recession.
全球抗击艾滋病、结核病和疟疾基金正在庆祝成立10周年。不过，该机构的未来项目缺乏捐助资金的前景给庆祝活动蒙上了阴影。在全球经济仍未摆脱困境之际，该机构呼吁美国带头增加捐助。
Last November, the fund’s board decided to cancel its latest attempt to ask for pledges from donors. That put many planned projects in jeopardy.
去年11月，全球抗击艾滋病、结核病和疟疾基金(简称全球基金)的理事会决定取消最新一轮的募款活动。这个决定给该机构的未来项目能否展开划上了问号。
“There is a crisis. The global fund is functioning, but it did not get in its donor replenishments an adequate amount of money for the period 2011 to 2014. And as a result of that, it actually suspended what they call Round 11, which was supposed to take place in 2011. And because of that, many programs in many countries are now in peril,” said Jeffrey Sachs, head of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, who was among those who lobbied for the fund’s creation.
哥伦比亚大学地球研究所主任杰夫里·萨克斯曾经是推动该基金成立的倡议者之一。他说：“这是一场危机。全球基金仍在运作，但没能从捐助国那里获得足够的款项用来维持2011到2014年的运行。结果，该机构暂停了被称做‘第11轮’的计划。这个计划本应该是2011年进行的。但由于资金短缺，很多国家的很多项目现在都岌岌可危。”
Estimates say about $2 billion in pledges is needed for Round 11.
据估计，“第11轮”计划大约需要20亿美元的捐助资金。
Nay to naysayers
Sachs said the global fund is a success story that needs to be championed.
萨克斯说，全球基金是个成功的范例，其经验值得推广。
“Since the financial crisis, governments have cut back in spending in general, but many have found it convenient to cut back on spending on the world’s poorest people. This is of course a double tragedy. Often waste goes unattended, but because the poor don’t have a voice they don’t get heard,” he said.
他说：“自金融危机以来，各国政府总体上削减支出，但是很多国家觉得削减用于全球最贫困人口的开支是一种便利的作法。这当然是一个双重的悲剧。很多时候，真正的浪费不易察觉，但因为穷人没有话语权，他们的声音不会被人听到。”
Sachs and others want the United States to lead efforts to replenish the fund. They’re calling on the U.S. to propose an emergency donor meeting. If that happens, they say, Round 11 could still take place.
萨克斯和其他专家呼吁美国带头为全球基金补充捐款。他们呼吁美国提议召开一次捐助国紧急会议。如果这样，他们认为“第11轮”计划还有机会启动。
Sachs said the global fund has proven all the critics and naysayers wrong.
萨克斯说，全球基金已经证明，其批评者和反对者是错误的。
“It showed how every skeptic 10 years ago who said - you could not treat AIDS in Africa, you could not get ahead of the epidemic, you could not control malaria because bed nets would not be used and every other myth that was said - has been proved wrong,” he said.
他说：“这个机构的成功显示出，10年前持怀疑态度的人，那些认为我们无法在非洲治疗艾滋病，无法控制艾滋病扩散，那些认为我们无法控制疟疾，因为没有蚊帐，还有那些提出各种其他疑问的人，他们都错了。”
Two key donors
The fund did receive good news from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
不过，全球基金从瑞士达沃斯的世界经济论坛得到了一些好消息。
“Two key donors cast votes of confidence with their checkbooks. Bill Gates announced a $750 million promissory note to the fund and urged support for the fund. And Japan, despite an earthquake, tsunami and a nuclear crisis, reconfirmed its $800 million pledge. These contributions are a strong endorsement of the fund’s impact and effectiveness and a challenge to other donors to step up,” said Joanne Carter, director of the RESULTS Educational Fund.
扶贫机构RESULTS教育基金主任乔安·卡特说：“两家关键的捐助方已经用他们的支票簿为全球基金投下了信任票。比尔·盖茨宣布为基金开出了7亿5千万美元的期票，并呼吁各界支持基金。日本尽管遭遇了地震、海啸和核危机，仍然重新确认了8亿美元的捐助承诺。这些捐款有力地确认了全球基金的影响和效果，同时也激励其他捐助方慷慨解囊。”
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been one of the world’s biggest contributors to health-related programs. Over the past 10 years, it gave the global fund $650 million. Gates described the promissory note as an innovative funding mechanism.
比尔和梅琳达盖茨基金会是全球最大的公共卫生项目捐助者之一。过去10年里，该机构向全球基金总共提供了6亿5千万美元捐助。盖茨说，以期票的形式资助全球基金是具有创新意义的捐助方式。
“It frees up funds for (the) global fund and so they can immediately use the money and continue to save lives.” He said.
“这将有利于疏通全球基金的资金流动，使他们可以立即使用这笔钱治病救人。”
Gates says the global fund can change the fortunes of the world’s poorest countries. Supporters estimate the fund saves 100,000 lives every month by funding programs and projects in 150 countries.
盖茨说，全球基金可以改变世界最贫穷国家的医疗状况。该基金的支持者估计，该基金在150个国家资助的项目每个月挽救了10万个生命。 |