By Jubi Headley

On July 19th, White House AIDS Czar Sandra Thurman and Archbishop Desmond Tutu stood with Vice President Gore as he announced that the Clinton administration will seek the largest ever budget increase in the global AIDS pandemic-an additional $100 million for prevention and treatment of AIDS in Africa. The Vice President also released a report from the White House Office of National AIDS Policy that assesses the AIDS crisis in Africa, and recommends this investment.

"AIDS in Africa is the worst infectious disease catastrophe in the history of modern medicine," Gore said in a statement. "More than twenty million people are now infected and 5000 more become infected each hour. We hope this initiative will not only provide much-needed relief but will inspire decisive action by other countries and institutions-and bring hope to the millions [of children and families] trapped in this horror."

Key components of the proposal include:

• $48 to provide comprehensive HIV education, counseling and blood screening efforts;

• $23 million for community and home-based care, including basic medical services;

• $10 million to provide care for children orphaned by AIDS through nutrition assistance and related programs-it is estimated that in the next decade more than 40 million African children will lose a parent to AIDS.

Gore, saying he aims to find the $100 million from existing funds, also proposed investments in surveillance efforts and planning effective local intervention or responses to the AIDS epidemic.

In his announcement the Vice President also outlined several other new initiatives to address the global AIDS pandemic:

• In September First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will convene a meeting of donors, including UNAIDS, the World Bank, international foundations, and CEOs, to discuss how AIDS efforts in Africa and around the world can best be enhanced and coordinated.

• The United Nations, in conjunction with the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, The White House Office of National AIDS Policy, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and other partners will organize a conference on World AIDS Day to focus attention on the children orphaned by AIDS.

• The White House also plans to facilitate a number of meetings with private sector leaders, such as business, religious, and labor communities, to encourage commitment and involvement in AIDS programs.

Gore made his announcement to more than two hundred invited guests in the standing-room-only crowd, including several members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a host of AIDS activists. While the proposal was widely well-received, many advocates acknowledge that more resources will need to be leveraged in order to address the global pandemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Some advocates also expressed concern that Gore made no mention of an AIDS-related issue that has gained greater visibility in recent weeks: securing the availability of affordable AIDS drugs in South Africa.