Press Statement |
 OTHER PRESS RELEASES |
Friday, 28 May 2004 |
The Global Fund clarifies its position concerning its South African Grants
Geneva, Switzerland - Given substantial media attention around comments made by the Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem to the South African Broadcasting Corporation and later statements by the South African Government, the Global Fund would like to clarify its position on the current status of its grants to South Africa.
Contrary to speculation in the media, the Global Fund is not threatening to withdraw any funds from South Africa. Collaboration between the Global Fund and the South African Government is productive and positive. Furthermore, through its seat on the Global Fund Board, South Africa plays an important role in the governance of the Global Fund.
We are encouraged by recent progress and are confident that the programs supported by the Global Fund will contribute substantially to South Africa’s struggle with HIV/AIDS.
The Global Fund remains committed to working with the South African Government to find joint solutions to bottlenecks in order to ensure rapid and efficient implementation of the Global Fund-financed programs in South Africa.
To date, the Global Fund has approved proposals for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care worth US$234 million over five years to South Africa.
The Global Fund is a unique global public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing. The Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases. The Global Fund has so far committed $2.1 billion to 225 programs in 121 countries.
The Global Fund has been established as an independent private
foundation governed by an international Board. Apart from a high
standard of technical quality, the Global Fund attaches no conditions
to any of its grants. It is not an implementing agency. It relies
on local ownership and planning to ensure that new resources are
directed to programs on the frontline of this global effort, reaching
those most in need. Its performance-based approach to grant-making
- where grants are only disbursed if progress has been measured
and verified - is designed to ensure that funds are used efficiently
and create real change for people and communities. All programs
are monitored by independent organizations contracted by the Global
Fund to ensure that its funding has real impact in the fight against
the three pandemics.
Information on the work of the Global Fund is available on this
website or contact Tim Clark,
+41 22 791 17 68, .
