Fwd: [RectalMicro IRMA] MSM and the Global Fund: Where Do We Go From Here?
MSM and the Global Fund: Where Do We Go From Here? (December 1, 2011) - Last week, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced that it will cancel its eleventh round of funding due to the failure of donor governments to live up to their commitments. The Global Fund has been central to the global AIDS response since its inception, and the collapse of sustained commitment would deal a catastrophic blow to those affected by HIV around the world. For communities of men who have sex with men (MSM), the loss of a fully-functional Global Fund would be especially devastating. HIV has taken a brutal toll on MSM from the time the epidemic was first identified among gay men living in the United States. After 30 years and the loss of countless lives worldwide, the virus continues to ravage our communities, with infection rates surpassing 20% among MSM in urban centers from Bangkok to Mexico City. Despite the clear need for intervention, recent research suggests tha