World Vision lauded U.S. President George W. Bush's recent proposal that Congress double funding to fight AIDS globally to $30 billion over five years. Bush announced the plan a week before meeting with other leaders at the annual G8 summit.

"This vital leadership will help vulnerable nations fight the AIDS pandemic and will save millions of lives," said Robert Zachritz, World Vision's senior policy advisor for global development.

"President Bush should be commended for his announcement today to double global AIDS funding over the next five years."

"We now need to ensure an adequate portion of funding goes to the needs of children made vulnerable or orphaned by the pandemic, and that this initiative doesn't reduce funding for ongoing humanitarian development programmes," Zachritz said. "We urge Congress to courageously move this proposal forward."

The announcement is a step on the way to meeting commitments that the Group of Eight leading nations made at the 2005 summit at Gleneagles, according to World Vision.

The proposal that would be presented in the annual meeting next week in Germany would broaden care to reach 5 million orphans and vulnerable children, up from 4 million.

The budget increase would extend the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for an additional five years beyond its original mandate expiring in 2008. The number of people receiving access to antiretroviral drugs through PEPFAR would increase to 2.5 million.

"Lack of access to treatment is a death sentence for millions," said Zachritz. "Increasing the numbers of those who receive medication is crucial, as is providing the services that can prevent pregnant women from transmitting the virus to their babies, protecting a new generation."