FRANCE BOLSTERS ITS SOLIDARITY WITH THE WORLD’S POOREST COUNTRIES AND RENEWS ITS COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
FOR THE FIRST TIME FRANCE TO HOST THE GLOBAL FUND’S REPLENISHMENT CONFERENCE IN 2019
The French President announced today, Wednesday, May 16th, that France would host the next replenishment conference of the Global Fund Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in 2019. This decision confirms France’s leadership and its solidarity towards the poorest countries at a crucial moment in the fight against epidemics and global health.
Friends of the Global Fund Europe is delighted by the commitment of France to the Global Fund and its will to include the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria among its priorities to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
“France has always played a pioneering role in the fight against pandemics and I am particularly pleased with this announcement at a crucial moment in the fight against epidemics and the necessary transformation of the global health environment”, said Laurent Vigier, president of Friends of the Global Fund Europe and former technical advisor in charge of the G8 and multilateral issues to President Chirac. “As the second largest donor to the Global Fund, France today reaffirms its leadership in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This conference, which will take place for the first time in France – the same year France chairs the G7 summit – will be an opportunity to take stock of what needs to be done by 2030 in order to put an end to epidemics and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 “Healthy lives and wellbeing for all at all ages”, continues Laurent Vigier.
Since 2013, stagnating investments in the fight against the three diseases and more broadly in global health, have begun to jeopardize SDG 3, in particular the target which aims at ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030. This flatlining threatens the sustainability of progress made over the last fifteen years and risks a rapid resurgence of the three pandemics.
“The road ahead of us to 2030 is probably the most difficult. We cannot be satisfied with the progress made so far in the fight against these three diseases. Not only must we avoid a resurgence of malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis and continue our efforts for access to health and rights for all, but we must be more ambitious, effective and collaborative in our collective actions for global health” underlines Michèle Barzach, former French Health and Family Minister, and Friends of the Global Fund Europe’s board member.
“By hosting the Global Fund Replenishment Conference in 2019, France is clearly indicating the importance it attaches to multilateral international action to sustain the efforts of the recipient countries themselves to not only fight the three pandemics, but also more broadly to strengthen health systems, promote human rights and gender equality, and move towards universal health coverage”, adds Laurent Vigier.
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