HTB

IAS highlight funding shortfall crisis for Global Fund

1 October 2010. Related: Treatment access.

IAS Press Release

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a demand-driven public private partnership established in 2002 to mobilise and intensify the international response to the three diseases. The Global Fund is the largest multilateral funder of public health in developing countries and is making a significant contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The 3rd Voluntary Replenishment of the Global Fund will be taking place on the 4-5th October in New York. The Global Fund has developed three resource scenarios in preparation for the replenishment meeting:

  • Scenario 1 – US$ 13 Billion: Would allow for the continuation of funding of existing programmes. New programmes could only be funded at a significantly lower level than in recent years.
  • Scenario 2 –  US$ 17 Billion: Would allow for the continuation of funding of existing programmes. In addition, funding for new programmes would come close to that of recent years.
  • Scenario 3 – US$ 20 Billion: Would allow for the continuation of funding of existing programmes. In addition, well performing programmes could be scaled up significantly, allowing for more rapid progress towards the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

Through the Universal Access Now Campaign, IAS Secretariat has been actively advocating for the full replenishment of the Global Fund as an effective means to bring us closer to reaching universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support
services and also to the health related MDGs. In a final push before the Replenishment meeting the IAS has taken a decision to target Germany and Sweden, two key donor countries to the Global Fund. Both countries have not yet stipulated whether they will increase their contributions to the Global Fund. We believe there is a window of opportunity to lobby these two countries and to call on them to increase their contribution and commitment to the Global Fund. If Germany and Sweden increase their contributions it may in turn encourage other European donors to follow suit. We urge all IAS members to write to the governments of both Germany and Sweden, please make your voices heard!

In addition there are a number of advocacy activities that are currently underway:

  • The Millennium Development Summit will be taking place from the 20–22 September in New York. The primary objective of the Summit is to accelerate progress towards all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, taking into account the progress made towards the internationally agreed development goals. The summit is expected to undertake a comprehensive review of successes, best practices and lessons learned, obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities, leading to concrete strategies for action. The IAS will provide an update on the outcomes of the MDG Summit via the Stronger Together Blog: http://www.iasociety.org/
  • A Global Week of Action running from the 20–28 September to the support the 3rd Voluntary Replenishment of the Global Fund has been launched. A number of CSOs have planned media and outreach activities taking place during this week. http://www.globalfundreplenishment.org/global-week-of-action/
  • An International sign-on letter calling on governments to fully finance the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has been launched. This petition will
    be delivered to world leaders at the 3rd Voluntary Replenishment Meeting. http://www.globalfundreplenishment.org/

Without a successful Global Fund Replenishment, the world will not meet the health related MDGs – the Global Fund that provides over 50% of AIDS treatment in resource poor countries and two thirds of international funding for TB and malaria is crucial to this effort. Make your voices heard, we must continue to hold governments accountable to ensure that universal access targets and the health related MDGs are achieved.

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In the UK the STOP AIDS Campaign is doing work on lobbying government to increase support to the Global Fund. The ‘Here I Am’ campaign joins with advocates in developing countries as well as within the UK. Here is a link to more information about it: http://domain2323665.sites.fasthosts.com/HERE_I_AM.asp

http://www.hereiamcampaign.org/

Individuals in the UK need to make this a political priority.

Source: Letter from IAS President, Elly Katabira

Links to other websites are current at date of posting but not maintained.