“The Clintons took part in numerous activities around the globe that always seemed to benefit the Clintons. In 2004, for example, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) signed an agreement with the WHO and it was promoted as helping people in Africa with HIV/AIDS assistance:
The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that they have agreed to jointly provide technical assistance on scaling up national HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs to developing country Member States of WHO.
Under the partnership CHAI and WHO will collaborate to assist countries with developing comprehensive care and treatment plans and strengthening existing country systems for procurement and supply management. By working together on the provision of technical assistance, CHAI and WHO will help harmonize treatment guidelines, monitoring and evaluation standards, and safe, reliable and efficient procurement processes across countries.
Ira Magaziner of the Clinton Foundation, with Dr Jim Kim of WHO. (Credit: Clinton Foundation)
“We welcome the collaboration as it increases the options WHO can offer to its member states to secure access to much needed diagnostics and anti retrovirals for HIV/AIDS patients,” said Dr Jim Kim, Director, Department of HIV/AIDS.The agreement will also help accelerate the pace at which countries receiving funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the World Bank can access CHAI-brokered agreements for reduced prices. The prices, which CHAI negotiated in October 2003 and January 2004, cover medicines that are critical components of the four regimens recommended by WHO as first-line treatment for AIDS in its 3 by 5 Initiative. The 3 by 5 Initiative aims to work with countries and partners to provide ARV treatment to three million people by 2005.
“Because CHAI is a leader in negotiating breakthrough pricing for HIV/AIDS medicines and diagnostics, and WHO is the leading global authority in public health, our collaboration will significantly advance the goal of providing antiretroviral treatment to three million people by 2005,” said Ira Magaziner, Chairman of the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative.
The problem with this arrangement was that it was against the law – the Clinton Foundation could not legally perform the above arrangement and keep its tax-exempt status.
Larry Doyle explains to Congressman Jim Jordan the illegality of the Clinton Foundation acting as a broker for the WHO:
h/t Charles Ortel