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GLOBAL FUND RESUMES MALARIA AND HIV/AIDS GRANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Malaria grants transferred to Pilipinas Shell Foundation
HIV/AIDS grants transferred to Department of Health

Geneva – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced today that it has resumed funding all four of its suspended grants for HIV/AIDS and malaria in the Philippines after they were transferred to new principal recipients in the country.

The Global Fund has signed new agreements transferring malaria grants, totaling up to USD 31.4 million, to the Pilipinas Shell Foundation and HIV/AIDS grants, totaling up to USD 1.9 million, to the Philippines Department of Health.

These grants were previously administered by the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF) and were suspended by the Global Fund in September 2009 after evidence emerged of unauthorized expenditure.

“We welcome the extensive efforts of our partners in the Philippines to ensure that we continue to make progress against the three diseases," said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund. "Many people in the Philippines depend on it."

The grants were transferred to the new recipients based on recommendations from the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism in the Philippines which consists of representatives from the government, civil society and people affected by the diseases.

In addition to HIV/AIDS and malaria, TDF was the principal recipient of a tuberculosis grant totaling up to USD 95 million. Permanent arrangements for the transfer of this grant to new principal recipients are currently being negotiated.

The Global Fund remains committed to efforts to combat the three diseases in the Philippines and will provide all possible support to enable the quick resumption of full grant-aided activities in the country.

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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 Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases.

Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financier of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US$ 18.4 billion for more than 600 programs in 144 countries. To date, programs supported by the Global Fund have saved 4.9 million lives through providing AIDS treatment for 2.5 million people, antituberculosis treatment for 6 million people and the distribution of 104 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria.

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