Global Fund approves US$2.4 billion in new grants

In its ninth round of funding the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has made an overall approval of grants with a two-year commitment of US $2.4 billion.

This is the second largest ever approved by the Global Fund, following a US$2.75 billion round in 2008. The Global Fund has now approved a total funding of US$18.4 billion for 144 countries since it was created in 2002.

The Global Fund also approved the roll-out of the pilot phase of a facility to reduce prices for effective malaria medicines (AMFm). The Pilot phase will take place in nine African countries and Cambodia and be funded through US$216 million in funding from UNITAID, the United Kingdom government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It aims to provide access for everybody to effective artemisinin combination treatments for malaria and save lives by reducing the use of old, ineffective medicines.

The Global Fund Board decided to launch its next round of grants in May 2010. This round of funding will be considered for approval at a Board meeting to be held some time between November 2010 and January 2011.