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Press Release |
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21 November 2005 |
RAPID SCALE-UP OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT NEEDED TO BEAT RISING HIV INFECTION NUMBERS
The Global Fund Can Drive Turn-around but Needs More Resources
Geneva - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria welcomes the new UNAIDS/WHO "AIDS Epidemic Update" and shares the two organizations "guarded optimism" at the indications that infection rates are falling in some countries.
"It is heartening that we are witnessing a drop in infection rates in some countries," said Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund. "This news is an affirmation that global investments and commitment can have an impact on the devastation of this disease. We must now accelerate the scale-up of prevention, testing, and treatment to keep pace with the growing epidemic."
The UNAIDS/WHO report released today shows that infection rates have decreased marginally in some African and Caribbean countries, but that the overall epidemic continues to rise and that total death figures have also risen despite 250,000 - 300,000 averted deaths due to wider access to antiretroviral treatment.
"The Global Fund is one of the principle financiers of AIDS interventions, with nearly US$ 2.5 billion invested in AIDS programs in more than 100 countries worldwide," continued Feachem. "However, global needs are far from met, and much more money needs to be channeled to fighting this global pandemic. For the Global Fund, this means that we urgently need the resources necessary to launch new rounds of financing in 2006 and 2007."
The Global Fund needs US$ 7.1 billion for 2006-2007 combined, but has so far received only pledges of US$ 3.8 billion for the two-year period.
The Global Fund is a unique global public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/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.
Around half of the funding is being spent on medicines, mosquito nets to prevent malaria and other products, while the other half is for strengthening health services. While the average age of Global Fund grants is around 16 months, already substantial results have been achieved, with 220,000 people having been supported with treatment for HIV/AIDS, 600,000 people having received TB treatment and more than three million families having received insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria.
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, instead relying on local ownership and planning to ensure that new resources are directed to programs on the frontline of this global effort to reach those most in need. Its performance-based approach to grant-making 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 an impact in the fight against these three pandemics.
Further information, please contact:
| Rosie Vanek The Global Fund (Geneva, Switzerland) Phone: + 41 22 791 5951 Mobile: + 41 79 445 14 85 |
Jon Liden The Global Fund (Geneva, Switzerland) Phone: + 41 22 791 1723 Mobile: + 41 79 244 6006 |
