Since 2003, a global epidemic of avian influenza has raised concern about the risk of an influenza pandemic among humans, which could cause millions of deaths. The United States and its international partners have begun implementing a strategy to forestall (prevent or delay) a pandemic and prepare to cope should one occur. Disease experts generally agree that the risk of a pandemic strain emerging...

By the end of 2002, more than 40 million people worldwide were living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), with 5 million newly infected that year. HIV/AIDS, along with tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, causes nearly 6 million deaths per year and untold human suffering. Established in January 2002, the Global Fund (the Fund) aims to rapidly disburse grants...

According to the World Health Organization, infectious diseases account for more than 13 million deaths every year, including nearly two-thirds of all deaths among children under age 5. Infectious diseases present a substantial threat to people in all parts of the world, and this threat has grown in volume and complexity. New diseases have emerged, others once viewed as declining in significance h...

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the global infectious disease surveillance framework, (with particular emphasis on its operations in developing countries), focusing on: (1) functions involved in infectious disease surveillance and response framework.GAO noted that: (1) primary functions in infectious disease surveillance include detecting and reporting cases of disease in target...

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO issued a report on factors that limit access to vaccines for children in developing countries, focusing on: (1) shifting donor priorities; (2) inadequate infrastructure and insufficient information for decision-making; and (3) the relatively high cost of newer vaccines.GAO noted that: (1) GAO convened a conference in Washington, D.C. in order to provide Con...

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its recent reports concerning the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on: (1) the social and economic implications of AIDS in Africa; and (2) efforts to combat the disease by the United States and the United Nations.GAO noted that: (1) despite some breakthroughs in tre...

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the World Health Organization's (WHO) efforts to eradicate seven infectious diseases--dracun culiasis, polio, leprosy, measles, onchocerciasis, Chagas' disease, and lymphatic filariasis--worldwide, focusing on: (1) the cost and timeframe estimates developed by WHO for eradicating or eliminating these diseases; (2) U.S. spending related to the seven...