The Global Fund seeks grass roots support
08 June 2005
Advertising campaign to show effectiveness of fight against disease as G8 nations prepare to step up action to help Africa
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a financing institution conceived by G8 leaders four years ago, is launching an advertising campaign in a bid to grow grass roots support for its work to tackle AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. The campaign comes as G8 members gather to discuss aid to the world’s poorest countries and aims to build trust and confidence that increased aid will be used well and can make a genuine difference in the fight against poverty.
‘The United Kingdom is leading a global effort to increase assistance to developing countries to enable them to solve urgent problems of disease and poverty – especially in Africa,’ says Richard Feachem, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
‘It is a crucial initiative and the lives and livelihood of millions of people depend on its success. If governments are to commit funds of this magnitude on behalf of their country they must have confidence that the money will be distributed wisely. We wanted to contribute to building that confidence by showing people that their country’s aid money saves lives and builds healthcare where it is needed most.’
The Global Fund was set up in 2002 through a unique collaboration between southern and northern governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and groups representing people living with the three diseases. It has rigorous application and monitoring processes which ensure that programmes supported bring about a tangible return investment. Funding of grants is for an initial two year period with future funding dependent on results achieved. The first 51 grants have now reached that two year point and performance is promising, with the grants having reached between 84% and 170% of their key services targets. Through Global Fund support, more than a million people have received live-saving treatments over the past eighteen months, including an estimated 200,000 people on AIDS treatment. Tens of millions have been reached with the information and tools necessary to protect themselves from infection.
‘At the Global Fund we recognise our responsibility to demonstrate results and effective use of money,’ Feachem says. ‘Through this campaign we can communicate to the British public that the Global Fund directs funds where they are needed most and begin to show how the work is making a significant difference. We hope we will show that aid invested now and managed by organisations like the Global Fund will save billions in future aid.’
The Global Fund is working with the “Make Poverty History” campaign to increase and improve global spending on development assistance.
The UK campaign will begin on 13 June with both print advertising and a television commercial, voiced over by Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston. All elements of the campaign, which will also include PR activity, were developed through a pro bono agreement with the Publicis Groupe. The campaign will also appear in Italy and Germany. During the launch period, The Global Fund will hold a series of meetings with representatives from the governments of the G8 and private sector leaders to encourage them to play an active role in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria.
Interview Opportunity
- Dr Richard Feachem, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Fund is available for interview. See contact details below.
Notes to Editor
About The Global Fund
- The Global Fund was created in 2002 to channel large amounts of new resources to fighting three diseases which kill six million people each year and impede development in large parts of the world. Funded by the United Kingdom and more than forty other countries, as well as private sector companies, foundations and individuals, the Global Fund already finances more than 300 programs in 130 countries worth £4.4 billion over five years. It provides money to programmes designed and implemented by countries requesting funds. It sets no conditions for its funding apart from high technical quality of the grant proposals, which are reviewed by a global panel of experts. However, it agrees targets for delivery of medicines, services, training and infrastructure and continues funding only of programs which achieve results. Decisions on continued funding are made by the time the grant has existed for two years. The Fund is currently facing a shortfall of $700 million to meet its 2005 commitments. It estimates that a total of almost US$7bn will be needed between now and the end of 2007 to fund both renewals of successful ongoing programmes and current estimates for new funding rounds.
- The estimated US$10 is based on an estimated US$3.5bn for 2006, US$ 3.6bn for 2007 and US$2.3bn in 2005 to meet existing project commitments and a fifth round of grants.
- Global Fund grants are made for an initial two year period with phased disbursements tied to demonstrable progress against targets. Funding beyond this period is on the basis of evidence of sustainable progress and the availability of funds.
- At the end of 2004 Global Fund financing had provided:
- 130,000 people with antiretroviral treatment for AIDS
- More than one million people with voluntary HIV testing
- 385,000 patients with treatments under DOTS (Directly observed treatment) strategy for tuberculosis control
- More than 300,000 people with highly effective artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs) for malaria
- More than 1.35 million families with insecticide treated mosquito nets
- Tens of thousands of people to be reached through a wide range of prevention programmes including behaviour change campaigns, community outreach, condom distribution, community and schools programmes and media awareness raising campaigns
- In 2004 over 350,000 people were trained to fight HIV, TB and malaria. These people will work to scale up treatments to hundreds of thousands in 2005 and millions over the life of their grants.
- By the end of May, these figures are estimated to have increased by 50 percent.
- G8 Leaders will be meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland on 6- 8 July 2005. High on their agenda are new ways of ensuring that poverty is reduced by half by 2015. Central to this goal is to reduce the burden of AIDS, TB and malaria.