Brussels Metro Campaign Calls on EU to Invest €800 Million in the Global Fund to Save Lives and Secure Futures
Brussels, 13 January 2025
This week, commuters across the Brussels metro are invited to reflect on the real-world impact of global health investment. A commitment from the European Commission of €800 million to the Global Fund could help save up to 1.2 million lives – roughly equivalent to the entire population of Brussels – making clear how vast and human the impact of this investment would be in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The campaign is led by Friends of the Global Fund Europe, ONE Campaign, Alliance for Public Health, Global Health Advocates, and Aidsfonds, as part of a broader joint appeal endorsed by 330 organisations across Europe and beyond. Together, they are calling on the European Commission to demonstrate leadership in global health by committing €800 million to the Global Fund ahead of its next Board meeting in February.
1.2 million lives
A €800 million EU contribution could help save up to 1.2 million lives, unlock billions in economic returns and strengthen health systems worldwide. This investment would support countries to better prevent and respond to outbreaks, accelerate innovation, uphold human rights and gender equality, and build resilient health systems capable of adapting to climate change. It would also help communities transition towards long-term self-reliance – delivering impact far beyond health alone.
Funding not yet committed
Despite its longstanding role as a champion of global health, the European Commission did not pledge at the Global Fund replenishment summit that took place last November, on the side of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Without sufficient investment, prevention slows, treatment is delayed, and lives are lost. In February, the Global Fund will hold its Board meeting, where country allocations will be decided – announcing a pledge before the Board meeting is critical to enabling the Global Fund to allocate resources on time and to prevent interruptions to country programmes.
As COVID-19 showed, diseases know no borders. Supporting the most affected countries helps protect everyone, inside and outside of Europe.
Why the Global Fund matters
Created in 2002 with the support of the European Commission, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a unique partnership that mobilizes and invests resources worldwide to end three of the deadliest infectious diseases and strengthen health systems. To date, the Global Fund has saved 70 million lives, transforming communities once devastated by these diseases. Its impact goes beyond health – keeping children in school, strengthening economies, and enabling communities to plan for a healthier, more secure future.
Europe can make this impact. Now is the moment to act, for a safer world for us all.
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Quotes
Kasia Lemanska, EU Representative, Aidsfonds: “€800 million is not an abstract number. It represents up to 1.2 million lives saved – roughly the equivalent of everyone living in Brussels. This campaign shows, in the most tangible terms, what is at stake for millions of people around the world”
Héloïse Levallois, Policy & Advocacy Senior Manager – EU Institutions, ONE Campaign: “The Global Fund shows what collective action delivers: over 70 million lives saved since 2002. But this progress is fragile. At a time of slowing health financing and deep aid cuts, a €800 million EU pledge is a strategic choice that protects lives, strengthens economies and reinforces Europe’s global leadership.”
Hélène Berger, Executive Director, Friends of the Global Fund Europe: “The Global Fund is a unique partnership model, bringing together governments, communities, the private sector, civil society and many more stakeholders to deliver transformative impact that reaches far beyond the fight against the three diseases. Committing to the Global Fund represents both a strategic choice and an act of global solidarity at a moment when the world needs it most.”
Antonio Gambini, Advocacy and Policy Officer, Global Health Advocates: « President von der Leyen said in her SOTEU address last September that Europe must take the lead on global health. This political ambition has to translate into actual concrete financial commitments, equivalent to the EU’s fair share of 800m€, which will help sustain the vital work carried out by the Global Fund to eradicate HIV, TB, and malaria«
Inna Gavrylova, Senior PR & Communications Manager, Alliance for Public Health: “From our work on the frontlines in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, we see every day how Global Fund support saves lives. This is why the EU’s €800 million commitment is urgently needed. As a key donor, the EU’s pledge will determine whether lifesaving HIV and TB services continue without interruption. Without timely funding, essential services risk interruption, and the consequences for the most vulnerable populations can be devastating.”