Fund the Fund to fight HIV/AIDS
31 August 2005
In July 2005, G8 leaders made a historic commitment to achieve universal access to anti-retroviral treatment for all those who need it, and to meet the financing needs for HIV and AIDS globally. Their landmark statement included an explicit commitment to adequately fund the Global Fund to Fight Aids Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), a co-ordinated, multi-lateral financing mechanism that currently contributes a fifth of all external resources worldwide for HIV/AIDS.
On 5 and 6 September 2005, donor country representatives will gather in London to participate in the replenishment conference for the Global Fund. The Global Fund estimates that it needs to raise $2.9 billion for 2006 and $4.2 billion for 2007 to adequately fund its responses for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The result of this replenishment conference is the first litmus test for the wider commitments G8 governments made at Gleneagles.
Why is the Global Fund important?
In just three years, it has disbursed $1.4 billion to developing country programmes, with recent figures indicating that 80% of these programmes have exceeded their success targets. With its focus on performance-based funding and scaling up comprehensive prevention, treatment and care, the Global Fund has given hope to many communities devastated by HIV/AIDS.
What does this mean on the ground?
To date, 397,000 children orphaned by AIDS have been provided with social, medical and educational support. More than 2.5 million people have been tested for HIV and received counselling through Global Fund-financed programmes. Tens of millions have been reached through evidence-based prevention programmes – from information provided through the media, schools and the entertainment industry and behaviour change programmes, to condom distribution and targeted support for injecting drug users and sex workers. Global Fund grants finance HIV/AIDS treatment in over 100 countries and to date have supported national programmes that provide anti-retroviral treatment for 220,000 people, with a goal of reaching 400,000 by the end of 2005.
Through our own work we have also seen the success of the Global Fund. In March 2004, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance was appointed temporary principal recipient of the Global Fund grant for the HIV/AIDS programme in Ukraine. Ukraine has the highest HIV prevalence rate in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and has historically suffered an acute lack of investment in HIV/AIDS-related public health care. The Global Fund programme offers life-saving treatment, care and support for people with HIV, as well as prevention services for those who are most vulnerable. Achievements to date include increasing the number of people on anti-retroviral treatment from 137 to 2,000; strengthening health systems, including supply management and infrastructure; and establishing robust partnerships between the Ukrainian government, private sector, civil society and affected communities. These short-term results have laid the foundation for the success of the longer-term national response to HIV/AIDS in the Ukraine. This is just one of the many success stories of the Global Fund.
If we are to turn the tide of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, sustaining this kind of progress and scaling up results is critical – as is improving the effectiveness of health investments in developing countries. We know all this will require predictable, sustained financing for the Global Fund; continued monitoring of performance; work to strengthen partnerships, particularly with affected communities; and appropriate technical support at country level to make sure that the money works better on the ground. We also know that the Global Fund is already delivering successful responses across the developing world, making a life saving difference to millions of people.
In August 2005, the UK government demonstrated principled leadership by announcing a doubling of its contribution to the Global Fund – a welcome step in the right direction. A strong statement of intent from the European Commission committing to maintain its funding of 12.8% of the Global Fund’s total spending would also send a positive message to both the G8 and other international donors to increase their contribution, and would help ensure the US maintains its contribution of a third of total Global Fund spending. But at the end of the day, if we are to see the historic promises made at Gleneagles become a reality, all governments of developed countries need to set more ambitious contribution targets to the Global Fund – and put up the money now.
Will donor countries deliver on their commitments? People living with HIV, their family, friends and lovers from all over the world will be watching.
Dr Alvaro Bermejo
Executive Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance
