Major increase in EU's contribution to improve global health

4 Mar 2016 11:55 AM

EU increases its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, yesterday announced the EU's contribution of €470 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the period 2017-2019. The new funding represents an increase of €100 million or 27% of the EU's contribution in comparison to previous years (€370 million for 2014-2016). This grant supports the Global Fund's objective to help save 8 million lives over the next three years and reach the SDG target of ending the epidemics of HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria by 2030. The announcement comes ahead of a meeting with Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, in Brussels.       

Commissioner Mimica said: "One of the lessons learnt after the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the clear need to strengthen health systems in developing countries, so that infectious diseases can be controlled for good."With these €470 million, the EU's contribution to the Global Fund will contribute to achieve our shared ambition to save 8 million more lives and avert up to 300 million infections". I call on others to raise their contributions so that more resilient systems can be built, and the special needs of women and girls and those of key affected populations be better served".

“With this significant and increased pledge, Europe is demonstrating terrific leadership in global health,” added Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “At a time when Europe faces global challenges like the migrant crisis and climate change, ending epidemics is a top priority that is inter-connected with social stability, education and expanding opportunity.”

Yesterday's announcement officially launched the pledging period towards the Global Fund replenishment conference, which is foreseen to take place later this year, to raise further funds by other international donors for the period 2017-2019. The Global Fund is supported by a broad coalition of various stakeholders from the private and public sector and civil society.

The Global Fund is seeking to secure pledges of 13 billion USD, with which they expect to save 8 million more lives and avert up to 300 million infections. With the 27% increase in the EU's contribution, the Commission is demonstrating its bold commitment to build on the good progress in this fight so far. 

Background

The Global Fund is a public-private partnership and a global financial instrument to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is the single most important external financer of the health sector in many African countries.  It has achieved significant progress in the fight against such diseases. However, more support to developing countries is needed so that they can improve their own health systems as a whole. 

The European Commission works with organisations like the Global Fund as an effective partner in the health sector. The European Commission has been associated with the Global Fund ever since it was founded 15 years ago, in 2001. Since then the Commission has contributed more than €1.5 billion to the Fund from the common EU budget and from the European Development Fund. The Global Fund also receives support from many EU Member States directly, bringing the contribution of the EU collectively to almost 50% of all resources received by the Global Fund.  Thanks to all this support, the Global Fund programs have helped save more than 17 million lives since 2002. Some of its concrete achievements include:

• The number of people dying from HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria declined by one-third since 2002 in the countries where the Global Fund invests.

• The number of people dying of AIDS-related causes fell to 1.1 million in 2014, down from a peak of 2.2 million in the mid-2000s. A tremendous contributing factor has been the increase in access to antiretroviral therapy from 4 percent coverage in 2005 to 40 percent coverage in 2014. A total of 8.1 million people receive antiretroviral treatment for HIV with Global Fund support.

• The number of deaths from TB declined 29 percent between 2000 and 2014 in countries where the Global Fund invests. This decline is complemented by an increase in the number of TB cases detected and treated over the past decade. A total of 13.2 million people have received TB treatment with Global Fund support.

• Thanks to the distribution of more than 548 million mosquito nets, 56 percent of people at risk of contracting malaria in 2014 gained access to these vital resources, from 7 percent in 2005. This and other initiatives on malaria prevention and treatment made it possible that deaths caused by malaria declined 48 percent between 2000 and 2014.

• The influence of the Global Fund goes beyond the health sector, given its success in involving civil stakeholder groups quite effectively in local and global governance.

For more information:

Website of the Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/

Website of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/