11 March 2009
Geneva – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria warmly welcomes the announcement by the United States government that it will contribute US$ 900 million for 2009.
The renewed commitment is the highest contribution ever made by the U.S. to the Global Fund since its inception in 2002. The 2009 amount is an increase of US$60 million over the U.S. contribution for 2008. With this new contribution, total U.S. financing for the Global Fund has now reached more than US$ 4.4 billion, which equals 28 percent of all financing expected through 2009.
The United States is the Global Fund’s largest single donor, although European Union member states together contribute more than half of the Global Fund’s resources, with France being the second largest donor overall, after the U.S. The Global Fund received contributions from a total of 50 donor countries to date, in addition to a number of private foundations, corporations and individuals.
“The United States is a leader in the fight against infectious diseases,” said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund, “It sends a strong signal of the importance of this fight that the U.S. Congress continues to increase funding for global health at a time of economic crisis. It underscores the need to maintain the progress and continue to invest in people’s health globally.”
The U.S. pledge comes as the Global Fund prepares for its Mid-Term Review Meeting of the Second Global Fund Replenishment process, to be held on 31 March and 1 April in Cáceres, hosted by the Spanish Government. This meeting serves to review the performance of the Global Fund and to consider additional funding for the organization.
The Global Fund works closely with U.S. initiatives to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria throughout the world - the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). Well-coordinated efforts in countries which are jointly supported ensure that the greatest possible impact is achieved through both U.S. initiatives and Global Fund resources. This collaboration includes financing complementary activities to minimize duplication as well as to ensure maximum impact on a national scale.
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The Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases.
At the end of 2008, Global Fund-supported programs are estimated to have averted more than 3.5 million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for two million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 4.6 million people and by distributing 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. The Global Fund has so far approved funding in 140 countries worth US$ 15 billion.
For more information, please contact;
The Global Fund
Andrew Hurst - Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 86 72
Mobile: +41 79 561 68 07
Email: andrew.hurst@theglobalfund.org
Nicolas Demey – Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 10 57
Mobile: + 41 79 504 21 34
Email: nicolas.demey@theglobalfund.org
