News Releases

Global Fund Board Steps Up the Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria

16 May 2019

GENEVA – The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved an allocation approach to maximize the impact of investments to end the epidemics and to build resilient and sustainable systems for health, stepping up efforts for the next three-year funding period.

At the Board’s 41st meeting, members approved a methodology for allocation and for catalytic investments in the 2020-2022 period, to focus funding on countries with the highest disease burden and lowest economic capacity, and accounting for key and vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by HIV, TB and malaria.

The Board expressed a consensus that the Global Fund’s allocation model is maturing well. The Board’s decision incorporates lessons from implementation and includes refinements based on recommendations by its Strategy Committee and technical partners including WHO, UNAIDS, the Stop TB Partnership, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

As a partnership organization, the Global Fund brings together governments, civil society, technical partners, the private sector and people affected by HIV, TB and malaria, and maximizes impact through increased funding and greater effectiveness of available resources. On several topics at the Board meeting, members stressed the strong advantages of leveraging partnerships in an evolving landscape on global health. The Global Fund is working closely together with multiple organizations on the SDG 3 Global Action Plan.  

The Global Fund expressed determination to raise at least US$14 billion in its Sixth Replenishment, to be hosted by France in October 2019.

“We need more innovation, better collaboration, better execution, and we also need more money,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “The next six months are an absolutely critical period in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria. We need a successful Replenishment. We need to step up the fight.”

Reviewing the Global Fund’s finances, the Board approved the 2018 Annual Financial Report and Statutory Financial Statements, as well as the appointment of an External Auditor.

The Board reviewed the Global Fund’s strategic performance framework and key performance indicators, providing an overview of progress towards the Global Fund’s strategy targets and objectives, where important progress has been made and where critical areas were identified for increased focus in the coming funding period.

The Board extended special gratitude to Board Chair Aida Kurtovic and Vice-Chair John Simon for their distinguished service over the past two years in those positions, completed at the conclusion of the meeting. The Board warmly welcomed Dr. Donald Kaberuka as the new Board Chair and Lady Roslyn Morauta as the new Vice-Chair, beginning a two-year term.   

The Board embraced an energetic mobilization of the entire Global Fund partnership to step up the fight and achieve a successful Replenishment. The Global Fund is seeking to raise at least US$14 billion to help save 16 million lives, cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems by working together to end the epidemics.