(RED) contributions to the Global Fund top $45 million - $30 million of (RED) funds already invested in AIDS programs in Ghana, Swaziland and Rwanda
24 September 2007
Los Angeles, CA - September 24, 2007 - Today, (RED), the initiative launched last year to engage corporate and consumer power in the fights against AIDS in Africa, announced that the sales of (PRODUCT) RED-branded products had generated more than $45 million for the Global Fund. In 2006, (RED) set out to create a sustainable model to increase private sector contributions to the Global Fund. The recent total of more than $45 million generated represents an impressive nine fold increase over the previous total of just $5 million raised by the Global Fund from the private sector in its first four years, 2002 - 2006.
"I am amazed and humbled by the impact that (RED) consumers have made in a year." said Bobby Shriver, co-founder and chairman of (RED). "The shoppers who've chosen (RED) and the companies who've turned (RED) are heroes. Each individual's decision is saving the lives of more than 30,000 AIDS patients in Rwanda and Swaziland today and ensuring that HIV-positive pregnant mothers receive the medicine they need."
This month, more than $7 million of the $45 million flowed to the third Global Fund-(RED) grant, an investment to help finance national AIDS programs implemented by the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. With this latest disbursement, (RED), through Global Fund-financed programs, has invested more than $30 million in AIDS programs in Rwanda, Swaziland and Ghana.
"(RED)'s contribution of $45 million to the Global Fund in the short period since it was launched in 2006 means that private sector contributions to the Global Fund are at a completely new level," said Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, executive director, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "(RED) has shown that it is possible to do good business while also doing good. It gives consumers a way to really impact upon the lives of people affected by AIDS in Africa."
One hundred percent of the (RED) money received at the Global Fund flows to Global Fund-financed programs. The Global Fund selects grants for (RED) investment based on programs with a proven track record and ambitious targets. In keeping with the Global Fund's philosophy of supporting local solutions, the Global Fund-(RED) grant in Ghana is implemented by the Ghanaian Ministry of Health and helps fund the following in-country services:
- Antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS patients,
- Counseling and testing services, and antiretroviral prophylaxis, for Ghanaian mothers to reduce the risk of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV,
- Training for healthcare providers in reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,
- Voluntary counseling and testing for prevention of HIV,
- Training for counselors to teach prevention of HIV.
This Global Fund financed HIV/AIDS grant in Ghana becomes the third grant to receive funds raised through (RED), alongside HIV/AIDS grants in Rwanda and Swaziland, where (RED) money has been at work for nearly a year and has helped achieve the following results.
In Swaziland, more than $9 million of (RED) money has flowed to support Global Fund-financed programs which have already:
- reached over 8,200 mothers with services to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV,
- trained over 150 midwives and doctors in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,
- reached almost 100,000 people with voluntary counseling and testing for prevention of HIV,
- trained over 75 counselors to teach prevention of HIV,
- set up over 35 counseling and testing centers for prevention of HIV,
- established feeding schemes in 335 schools,
- built 277 community feeding and daycare centers (KaGogo centers),
- provided education support for over 59,000 vulnerable children,
- provided antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS to over 17,000 patients,
- trained over 800 nurses and doctors in treating patients with HIV/AIDS,
- trained almost 3,000 health workers to deliver home-based care for HIV/AIDS, patients.
In Rwanda, more than $14 million of (RED) money has flowed to support Global Fund-financed programs which have already:
- reached over 316,000 pregnant women with counseling and services to reduce the risk of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV,
- reached over 6,000 women with a complete course of ARV prophylaxis to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission,
- trained over 240 health providers (doctors and nurses) in the management of patients on antiretroviral combination therapy (ART),
- reached over 630,000 people with voluntary counseling and testing for prevention of HIV infection,
- trained almost 3,000 counselors to teach prevention of HIV infection,
- provided antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS to over 14,500 patients,
- set up 42 health centers to deliver anti-retroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS,
- set up over 120 sites to offer counseling and testing services (including for pregnant women),
- supported 78 associations of people living with HIV/AIDS.
(RED) funds are generated through the sale of (PRODUCT) RED- branded products. The initial (RED) partners, Converse, Gap, Motorola, Emporio Armani, Apple, and American Express (UK only) have made multi-year commitments to produce (PRODUCT) RED-branded products, invest marketing to build demand for the products and contribute up to 50% of the profits from these product lines to the Global Fund. (RED) will continue to expand its portfolio of partners in the coming year and will have new (PRODUCT) RED items available for the 2007 holiday season. www.joinred.com.
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About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)'s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund, to help finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Giorgio Armani, and Motorola. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor in the United Kingdom and MTV Networks is the first media sponsor in the US. www.joinred.com