Global Fund Results Show Strong Momentum
27 November 2013
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced new results today that show a substantial increase in the number of people being treated for HIV, in the distribution of insecticide-treated nets to combat malaria and in treatment for TB.
The results show that 6.1 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy under programs supported by the Global Fund by the end of 2013, up from 5.3 million six months ago and from 4.2 million at the end of 2012.
“I am absolutely thrilled to see that thanks to the collaborative effort of all our partners, six million people are now receiving HIV treatment," said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “These results are very encouraging, but there is no time to lose. If we can harness the funds needed, and reach the most vulnerable, we can be the generation that defeats AIDS.”
One factor in the increase in HIV results has been that the Global Fund can now include data from India, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, since aggregated results have stringent requirements before data can be included. With these new figures, the number of people living with HIV who can be counted as receiving antiretroviral therapy under programs supported by the Global Fund increased by 45 percent since the end of 2012.
The results also show significant progress in the fight against malaria. The number of insecticide-treated nets distributed by programs supported by the Global Fund increased by 50 million by the end of 2013, taking the total number of nets to 360 million. A significant portion of the increase was due to expanded programs in Sudan, South Sudan and Nigeria.
The number of new smear-positive TB cases detected and treated increased to 11.2 million, from 9.7 million by the end of 2012. The increase was largely due to a higher number of treated cases in Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
The new results come as the Global Fund prepares for the launch of its Fourth Replenishment in Washington D.C. on 2-3 December 2013, hosted by the United States government.
At the Third Replenishment in October 2010, which began raising funds for a three-year period now coming to an end, donors pledged US$9.2 billion. Dr. Dybul has expressed confidence the December launch will exceed that number.
The Global Fund was created in 2002 to dramatically increase resources for the fight against the three pandemics. Today it supports programs in more than 140 countries. Together with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund is one of the leading international financial supporters of HIV prevention and treatment services.
Through innovative partnerships with governments, civil society, UN agencies, private sectors, and key affected communities, the Global Fund has proven an effective vehicle that fosters collaborative efforts to fight the three diseases.