Nordic Countries Pledge $750 Million to the Global Fund
05 September 2013
GENEVA - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria strongly welcomed a pledge of US$750 million by Nordic countries, a highly significant contribution to defeating these three infectious diseases.
The announcement was made in Stockholm on 4 September in a joint statement by Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and the United States, and coincided with meetings by their leaders with President Barack Obama, hosted by Sweden.
Collectively, the pledge represents over $150 million in increased funds from the Nordic countries. The statement specified that the contribution would unlock an additional US$375 million from the U.S., signaling the leverage of every pledge.
"The vision and foresight of our Nordic partners is a critical piece of seizing this historic moment to defeat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria," said Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Chair of the Board of the Global Fund. "This is terrific leadership. We hope others will be inspired by and join these efforts."
Nordic countries have been strong supporters of the Global Fund since its inception in 2002. The statement also commended recent reforms and results achieved by the Global Fund.
The Global Fund will convene a once-every-three-years pledging conference, known as the Global Fund's Fourth Replenishment, in late 2013. The announcement by Nordic leaders promised that they would "work together to ensure a successful replenishment."
"These historic multilateral investments will work to turn the tide against these three devastating diseases," the announcement also said.