Global Fund welcomes pledges by United Methodist Church, 'Gift From Africa'
22 September 2010
New York, 22 September 2010 - The Global Fund welcomes a new fund-raising drive to raise up to US$ 28 million by the United Methodist Church, the first ever such commitment from a faith-based group, and new contributions of US$ 3 million from the ‘Gift from Africa’ campaign, the first ever such pledge by private sector companies in Africa.
The announcements were made on Tuesday at a special event on global health on the side-lines of the UN Millennium Development summit in New York.
Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the United Methodist Church announced a pledge to raise up to US$ 28 million to support Global Fund malaria grants in Africa as part of the church’s “Imagine No Malaria” campaign, which aims to help eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. The partnership was initiated with the support of the United Nations Foundation, and is the first time the Global Fund has entered into such a partnership with a faith-based group.
“Through our ‘Imagine No Malaria’ campaign, the people of the United Methodist Church are raising money for the fight against the disease through various fun and innovative activities throughout the US,” said Bishop Bickerton. “By investing the resources that we raise in the Global Fund and our own congregations in Africa, we will provide hope to the many people whose lives are at risk because of a fully treatable and preventable disease.”
The ‘Gift from Africa’ campaign, initiated three months ago in partnership with Friends of the Global Fund Africa, brings together companies from the private sector in Africa with the United Against Malaria campaign and its fund-raising partners (Nandos, MTN and Standard Bank). The campaign has initial commitments from Access Bank Nigeria, Anglo American South Africa, Cirrus Oil of Ghana, MTN Group and Old Mutual of South Africa. Announcing Access Bank’s contribution of US$ 1 million, Group Managing Director and Chairman of Friends of the Global Fund Africa Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said, “The Gift from Africa campaign affords us the opportunity to provide responsible leadership to African companies, and demonstrate to the world that Africans are prepared to share the responsibility for solving Africa’s challenges.”
Prof. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund, welcomed the contributions from ‘Gift from Africa’ and the United Methodist Church. “These unprecedented new pledges from the private sector in Africa and the United Methodist Church demonstrate how different sectors of society find that the Global Fund is a trusted channel for their contribution to fight the three diseases,” said Prof. Kazatchkine. “We are deeply grateful for the trust these institutions have placed in the Global Fund.”
###
For more information, please contact:
In New York:
Andrew Hurst – Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 16 72
Mobile: + 41 79 561 68 07
E-mail:
Veronique Taveau – Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 11 28
Mobile: + 41 79 362 97 04
E-mail:
Nalin Mehta – Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 18 21
Mobile: + 41 79 541 04 61
E-mail:
In Geneva:
Rebeca Kritsch – Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 1822
Mobile: + 41 79 441 8937
E-mail: