With pledges amounting to almost USD 13 billion, donors show the Global Fund their determination to pursue the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
“This successful replenishment comes as an encouraging sign to pursue the efforts to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030. But the fight is not over. This success gives hope to millions of people, including the most vulnerable and marginalized ones, who still don’t have access to treatment and care. Today we can be proud of these results. Nevertheless, we need to continue mobilizing resources to end these diseases and to contribute, along with the Global Fund, saving lives and improving health systems for all” said Laurent VIGIER, Chair of Friends of the Global Fund Europe.
With a USD 4.3 billion pledge, the United States of America keeps on showing the way of the fight against the epidemics for the next triennium 2017-2019.
Two-thirds of the European countries which are traditional donors to the Global Fund, have increased their pledges in domestic currencies, for the triennium 2017-2019, enabling Europe to maintain its place in the announced investments (almost 50% of the whole commitments) despite the many humanitarian, political, social and security challenges they have to face, and among them: the European Commission (+27%), Italy (+40%), Luxembourg (+8%), Norway (+17.6%), Sweden (+13,6).
With a £1.1 billion pledge, including a commitment for tackling malaria composed by the £2 which will be given for every £1 donated by the private sector up to a maximum of £200million, the UK becomes the first European donor in volume for the triennium to come, which shows a strong political will to fight the epidemics. By maintaining its pledge to €1.08 billion, while announcing that the part allocated through bilateral channels backing the Global Fund would be increased from 5% to now 7%, France remains the second donor to the Global Fund since its creation. Germany has pledged €800 million for the triennium 2017-2019, which is nominally a 33% increase. However, considering that the regular pledge only increased to €675 million and is complemented with exceptional contributions, and the negative impact of the exchange rate, a more ambitious pledge from Germany would have been a positive signal of its engagement towards the Global Fund and the fight against the three epidemics.
“It is essential that Europe, despite the many challenges it has to deal with, remains highly committed to the Global Fund” said Heidemarie WIECZOREK-ZEUL, former German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and Vice-chair of Friends of the Global Fund Europe. “Millions of women, teenagers and children are relying on Europe. It is our collective responsibility to respond to their hope and to make it possible for them to live decent lives and not only to survive. And we can even do better. The Global Fund model is among the best things globalization can give. Our support to this organization should not stop after the success we obtained today. Each decision-maker in each countries – in Europe as in other places – needs to examine its capacity to do more and better in order to save millions of lives and to get the resources necessary to offer a more equitable and peaceful world to future generations.”