Countries continue to request large amounts of funding
18 September 2009
Global Fund-supported Programs Saved 4 Million Lives to Date
Geneva (18 September 2009) – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced today that 95 countries have requested a total of US$ 4.8 billion in grants to fight the three diseases in this year’s round of financing. Of these applications, almost 50% have been recommended to the Global Fund Board for funding by a panel of experts, which assesses the quality of the proposed programs.
If approved, the Global Fund Board may commit up to US$ 2.21 billion over two years to finance these programs. In last year’s round of financing the Board approved grants worth US$ 2.75 billion.
Almost half of the funding which has been recommended this year is to fight HIV and AIDS, over a quarter is to tackle malaria, and another quarter to combat tuberculosis.
In addition to the US$2.21 billion recommended for funding, other proposals for the financing of National Strategy Applications for the three diseases may be approved. This will further increase the overall amount of money approved for programs in 2009.
“It is very encouraging to continue receiving proposals of this magnitude,” said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, the Executive Director of the Global Fund. “It means that countries are continuing to significantly expand AIDS treatment and prevention, implement mass-distribution campaigns for mosquito nets to fight malaria, and to scale up TB treatment and diagnosis,” he stated.
To date, the Global Fund has approved grants worth US$ 16.1 billion to 140 countries since its creation in 2002, amount that will increase should the US$ 2.21 billion recommended for this year’s round of funding gets approved. The Global Fund currently provides a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally, as well as two-thirds for TB and malaria.
“Only a few thousand people were able to access antiretroviral treatment for HIV in 2001,” Kazatchkine stated. “Today, four million people are on these drugs, and 2.3 million of these receive them through programs supported by the Global Fund. Progress against malaria has been nothing short of remarkable, and achieving the MDG for malaria is actually feasible. TB case detection rates globally have doubled in the past few years and millions more people have access to treatment. We are really beginning to see that we can have an impact on these major global epidemics”.
Every year, the Global Fund invites low and lower-middle income countries to submit requests for grants in successive funding rounds. Proposals are drawn up by standing committees bringing together the countries’ public sector, non-governmental organizations, private sector, donor country agencies or international agencies and people living with the diseases. These proposals are then screened by an independent panel of health and development experts, who send their recommendations to the Global Fund Board.
The Board will meet in November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to assess the panels’ recommendation and approve funding for the grants.
The Global Fund supports programs which deliver services to hundreds of millions of people. As a result, more than 4 million lives have been saved. Every day, 3.000 deaths are averted. Main results include:
- 2.3 million people currently on antiretroviral therapy (ARV) for HIV;
- 5.4 million people on effective tuberculosis (TB) treatment;
- 88 million insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) distributed to protect families from malaria.
- 79 million people have been reached with HIV counseling and testing;
- 537,000 HIV+ pregnant women have been reached with prophylaxis for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT);
- 110 million people have been reached with community outreach services;
- 3.7 million orphans have been provided with basic care and support.