Global Fund investments support AIDS treatment for 2.3 million people
08 July 2009
88 Million Bed Nets Distributed for Malaria
Geneva (8 July 2009) – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today announced that 2.3 million people living with HIV have been reached with lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through AIDS programs it supports, a 31 percent increase over results reported a year ago
Global Fund-supported tuberculosis programs have so far put more than 5.4 million people on effective TB drugs treatment. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among HIV-infected people; the World Health Organization estimates that TB accounts for up to a third of AIDS deaths worldwide
The Global Fund also reported progress in the fight against malaria, with a cumulative total of 88 million insecticide-treated bed nets delivered to families at risk of contracting the disease through its funded programs. This is a rise of 49 percent from 59 million nets distributed by mid-2008
The Global Fund provides around 23 percent of international resources to fight AIDS, as well as 57 percent of international funding to fight tuberculosis and 60 per cent of international funding to fight malaria
“In less than eight years, the Global Fund has gone from a concept to a driver of change,” said Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “When we first began our work in 2002, few people in developing countries were being treated for AIDS or tuberculosis. Malaria was a neglected disease. Many countries simply did not have the resources to fight these diseases effectively. Now the story is changing dramatically. There is still much to be done, but we are making real progress and I am proud that the Global Fund is a leader in this global effort.”
| Global Fund results – June 2009 | mid 2008 | mid 2009 | % increase |
| Number of people currently receiving ARVs | 1.75m | 2.3m | 31% |
| Number of people receiving TB treatment under DOTS | 3.9m | 5.4m | 38% |
| Number of nets distributed (ITNs and LLINs)* | 59m | 88m | 49% |
*ITN: Insecticide-treated net
LLIN: Long-lasting insecticidal net
Additional results showed that a cumulative total of 79 million people have been reached with HIV counseling and testing; 3.7 million AIDS orphans and vulnerable children have been provided with basic care and support; 110 million people have been reached with community outreach prevention for one or several of the three diseases; 537,000 HIV-positive pregnant women having received a complete course of ARV prophylaxis to reduce mother-to-child transmission; 1.4 billion condoms have been distributed; 7 million people have received care and support; and 10 million health or community workers have been trained to deliver services since the Global Fund started financing grants in 2003.
The results reported today combine data from individual programs supported by the Global Fund in 140 countries. Measuring performance is at the core of the Global Fund’s performance-based financing system which only disburses money based on targets reached. The quality of the results is assured through the work of the Global Fund’s verifying agency in each country and independent data and systems reviews
The Global Fund closed this year’s call for new grant proposals on 1 July. The scale-up in Global Fund-supported programs led to an unprecedented increase in new, high-quality proposals for grants submitted in 2008. It is anticipated that there will be an equally high level of demand this year as well. The Board of the Global Fund is expected to approve new grants under this round at its meeting in November 2009
For more information on principles and approach in determining the number of people on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for HIV/AIDS treatment, including a breakdown of the results by country, visit our frequently asked questions document.