14 May 2004
Geneva, Switzerland – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria welcomes Canada’s announcement to double its pledge for 2005 to CDN $ 70 million (US$ 50 million).
The Honorable Aileen Carroll, Minister for International Cooperation, made the announcement in Ottawa. Canada is the first major donor to double its contribution for 2005.
“We are very grateful to Canada for taking the lead in increasing its pledge for next year,” said Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “We need every donor country to follow this example if we are to approach the projected budget for 2005 of US$ 3.5 billion, of which just under US$ 900 million has been pledged to date, including Canada’s new commitment.
“We see that the demand for the Global Fund is enormous,” he continued. “For 2004, our needs are US$ 1.6 billion. Next year, we need more than double this figure to live up to the commitments we made and the expectations and hopes for millions of people. Canada’s initiative is vital in setting the tone of the world’s response.”
Canada has been a supporter of the Global Fund from its early days, committing a pledge of CDN$ 150 million (US$ 100 million) for 2002-2005, divided equally over the four years. In the same pledge, Canada is also committing CDN$ 35 million (US$ 25 million) to the Global Fund for 2006.
In a complementary move, Canada has also this week pledged CA$ 100 million to support the World Health Organization and UNAIDS’ “3 by 5” initiative to treat three million people with HIV/AIDS by the year 2005.
The Global Fund is a unique global public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat 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. The Global Fund has so far committed US $2.1 billion to 227 programs in 122 countries and 3 territories.
In approving grant proposals for funding, the Global Fund attaches no conditions apart from the necessity for a high standard of technical quality. 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 is having an impact in the fight against the three pandemics.