Global Health Security

Global health security protects people everywhere from the threat of infectious diseases by preventing, detecting and responding to outbreaks before they escalate into global health emergencies.

In 2003, the world narrowly avoided disaster when SARS, a lethal virus many times more deadly than COVID-19, spread to 29 countries within months. Swift containment efforts averted catastrophe, but that near-miss underscored a hard truth later made real by COVID-19: a health threat in one country can quickly become a crisis everywhere, and weaknesses in health systems put the entire world at risk.

Making the world safer for everyone means defeating HIV, TB and malaria as public health threats, which still kill millions of people each year. Fighting these three diseases not only saves lives, but also strengthens entire health systems, improves outbreak preparedness and response, fuels economic growth and promotes global stability.

The Global Fund’s investments extend far beyond low- and middle-income countries. By confronting today’s deadliest epidemics and supporting stronger health and community systems, we help to reinforce health security worldwide – making all countries healthier, safer and more prosperous.

Strong health and community systems are the first and best defense against infectious diseases and pandemics. The Global Fund is the largest multilateral investor in health system strengthening, investing US$6 billion between 2024 and 2026. We are also the only global health institution that directly funds both governments and communities at scale – ensuring resources reach both the national level and the local level where care is delivered and outbreaks are first detected.

The same systems we invest in to fight HIV, TB and malaria – from laboratories and supply chains to trained health workers – are the ones countries rely on to detect and contain emerging threats. For example, when a deadly new strain of mpox surfaced in Uganda in July 2024, the country’s rapid response was enabled by a robust national lab network strengthened through significant Global Fund support. The outbreak was contained before it could spread.

Every dollar the Global Fund invests in stronger, more resilient health systems helps countries stop outbreaks before they spiral out of control – safeguarding health security and lives in every corner of the world.

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Robust disease surveillance is the backbone of global health security. It enables countries to detect outbreaks early, respond quickly and prevent local threats from becoming global ones.

Our investments in HIV, TB and malaria, as well as dedicated funding for strong and responsive disease surveillance systems, have supported the data systems, laboratory networks and skilled health workforces that are now critical for spotting new and re-emerging threats. Between 2021 and 2025, we are investing US$400 million in surveillance systems strengthening in 94 countries – equipping them to act faster and more effectively. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, Global Fund support is helping to digitize the national disease reporting and early alert systems. These systems were critical in detecting and responding to a mysterious disease that emerged recently in a remote corner of the country, which was later confirmed to be a strain of severe malaria presenting itself as a respiratory illness.

We support countries to develop and operate integrated data systems, embedding HIV, TB and malaria monitoring within broader national systems. This approach makes surveillance more efficient, sustainable and pandemic-ready, capable of rapidly tracking and countering new and ongoing threats like Ebola, mpox and drug-resistant pathogens.

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Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to global health and economic security. Already a leading cause of death worldwide, antimicrobial resistance could kill over 10 million people annually and add US$1 trillion in health care costs by 2050. It has grave implications beyond human health, threatening agriculture, food systems, economies and the environment.

The Global Fund combats antimicrobial resistance through our investments to fight HIV, TB and malaria, which expand access to accurate diagnosis, ensure quality-assured medicines and support patients to complete treatment. These actions help slow the development of drug resistance and keep medicines effective.

Beyond the three diseases, our significant investments in health systems strengthen laboratory networks and disease surveillance systems, and promote responsible deployment of antibiotics. This helps countries to better prevent, track, diagnose and treat new threats, drug-resistant infections and dangerous disease variants.

In a connected world, no country is safe from drug-resistant superbugs. By tackling antimicrobial resistance, the Global Fund is protecting the effectiveness of lifesaving medicines and reinforcing health security everywhere.

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