Japan more than doubles 2004 Pledge to Global Fund
12 December 2003
Tokyo, Japan – At today’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Commemorative Summit Conference, the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Junichiro Koizumi, has announced a major increase in Japan’s contribution to the Global Fund for 2004, from a planned US$40 million to up to US$100 million.
The Global Fund warmly welcomes this increase which signals Japan’s continued commitment to the Global Fund and to its leadership role in mobilizing support from the Asia and Pacific region.
Through 2004, nearly US$ 3 billion is now pledged to the Global Fund, with an additional US$ 1.9 billion pledged for 2005 to 2008, or for an unspecified period. The Global Fund has to date committed US$ 2.1 billion over two years to 224 programs to combat the three diseases in over 120 countries.
Expected results from programs approved for funding to date include
more than 700,000 people on antiretrovirals, tripling current coverage in developing countries;
35 million clients reached with HIV voluntary counseling and testing services for prevention;
over 1 million orphans supported through medical services, education and community care;
nearly 3 million additional tuberculosis cases treated with DOTS successfully after diagnosis;
tripling of treatment of multi-drug resistant TB globally, with over 8,000 new treatments;
22 million combination drug treatments for resistant malaria delivered;
64 million bed nets will be financed to protect African families from transmission of malaria
Japan has been a key supporter of the Global Fund from the beginning. At the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in July 2000, Japan placed the issue of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases as a central development agenda item and sustained the momentum for the Global Fund’s creation through to its inception in January 2002.
Subsequently, as a donor government Japan has also provided in-kind and supplementary financial assistance to the operations of the Secretariat including making additional contributions to partners to provide technical assistance to Global Fund recipient countries in the region. Today’s announcement brings the total Japanese contribution to the Global Fund for the period 2002-2004 to US$ 260 million. The pledge for 2003 is US$80 million.