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  Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

MASSIVEGOOD on Capitol Hill

MASSIVEGOOD on Capitol Hill

One week after being the first to click MASSIVEGOOD, President Bill Clinton introduced US lawmakers to our movement, explaining how we intend to raise more money for global health.

Alongside Bill Gates at Capitol Hill on March 10th to testify to a U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on global health, President Clinton made special mention of what he called the “best thing” to happen in fundraising for global health in the past few years, UNITAID.

When you donate through MASSIVEGOOD, your micro-contribution goes in priority to UNITAID, an organization created in 2006 that has already delivered over 21 million treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis to 93 countries.

In his opening remarks to the Committee, President Clinton discussed UNITAID’s innovative financing model:

I think that we do have one new source of funds and we shouldn’t forget it. After the –– after the global fund in PEPFAR and the Gates Foundation, the best thing that’s happened to the world in the last few years on this score is UNITAID which was funded by the French airline tax on every overseas trip out of France. It’s a couple of bucks. And about a dozen countries have followed suit and a dozen more kick in funds to UNITAID from general revenues. We are the purchasing agents for UNITAID for pediatric drugs and second line ARV drugs. But they buy drugs –– all kinds of medicines to help the poor people of the world. That’s why UNITAID was set up.

UNITAID has done just that.

Enter MASSIVEGOOD. After UNITAID’s successes in providing drugs to those that need them the most, MASSIVEGOOD will raise the funds needed to ensure that millions more can have access to life-saving treatments. By donating every time we travel, we can ensure a steady and sustainable stream of funds towards the purchase of treatments.

President Clinton continued:

Philippe Douste-Blazy, former [Foreign] Minister of France, and I just announced a voluntary private component or partner of UNITAID called MASSIVEGOOD which will allow people in other countries, beginning in the United States, to make a voluntary contribution on their airline tickets to buy medicines for poor people of a couple of dollars…

Totally voluntary. They just give you a chance to check a box when you buy an airline ticket, but that’s the only new source of funds that I am aware of that will help us with the problems of that –– not just the United States, but other countries are facing in purchasing medicine.

You can see a video transcript of the whole hearing on the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations website. (President Clinton’s remarks are at the 52 minute mark).