Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a letter from AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Ambassador Dr. Jorge Saavedra at the Civil 20 Summit in Moscow last week – the letter applauded Russia’s contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria while also asking the G20 presiding country to encourage other nations who are not contributing to the global program to step up their commitmentsMOSCOW – Last week, at the Civil 20 Summit – an international forum for dialogue between civil society organizations, politicians, and experts from countries that make up the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) – Dr. Jorge Saavedra, Global Ambassador for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from the organization that commended Russia’s contributions to the Global Fund by highlighting the millions of lives saved by such funding, but simultaneously urged the country – which will be hosting the G-20 Summit in September – to encourage those countries that are not contributing to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to give more funds to the global service program.

The letter asked Russia to “renew its commitment to [this support], but also as the presiding country of the G20 encourage members who do not contribute, or contribute very little to the Fund, to follow Russia’s example.”

Specifically, the letter asks Russia to urge that Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to make their first contributions to the Global Fund. The communication suggests these countries could come together as a group of donors under Russia and hold a seat on the Global Fund Board.

Dr. Jorge Saavedra (right) at the Civil 20 Summit in Moscow

 

“The contributions to the Global Fund should not be seen as an expense, but rather as an investment that will pay off by saving lives and controlling three diseases that have no borders and pose risks to public health and overall development,” read the letter signed by Dr. Saavedra, who is also a member of the Developing Countries NGOs Delegation to the Global Fund Board.

Saavedra reported that President Putin was very receptive to the comments posed to his nation in the letter, and even addressed the current state of Russia’s HIV/AIDS epidemic and told Saavedra that there are other countries in Eastern Europe that are performing far better than Russia with regards to HIV prevention.