G7 countries move closer to plan to boost AIDS efforts in poor nations

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations ended meetings this weekend with claims that they've moved significantly closer to a deal that would allow poor nations to reduce their debt payments and divert the extra money to AIDS programs. Several health, AIDS advocacy, and developmental groups--including ActionAid International USA, the Global AIDS Alliance, the Student Global AIDS Campaign, and Results Educational Fund--are urging G7 nations to support eliminating debt in more than 30 developing countries. A report by some of the groups, titled "Blocking Progress," says current debt policies for poor nations aimed at keeping inflation low and public spending in check are making it difficult to make improvements in the health care infrastructures in many countries. Gordon Brown, British chancellor of the exchequer, said the G7 meetings helped to advance the cause of extending debt relief for developing nations past the currently discussed levels of about 50%, possibly to the point of 100% debt forgiveness. Although the United States currently backs an effort to get the World Bank to issue grants instead of loans to poor nations to help fight AIDS and make other health care system improvements, U.S. officials are open to the idea of debt relief for developing countries. "I want everybody to know that the United States is fully engaged with our other partners in trying to make sure we find answers to this critical problem," says U.S. treasury secretary John Snow. "We're prepared to go to debt forgiveness of up to 100%."