Private Sector Strongly Supports the Global Fund
16 December 2015
TOKYO - Private sector organizations, charities and foundations made record-breaking commitments to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through an early announcement of pledges amounting to US$37 million ahead of the Global Fund Fifth Replenishment to be held in 2016.
(RED), the initiative started by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 to fight AIDS in Africa through the Global Fund, is contributing US$15 million for 2016, bringing their total pledge 2014-2016 to US$100 million, the largest pledge ever made by a private sector donor. (RED) launched its first-ever Shopathon on World AIDS Day, selling iconic (RED) products and chances to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences throughout the month of December. Every dollar (RED) raises through the Shopathon will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, up to US$20 million.
"Since its founding in 2006, (RED) is proud to have raised more than $325 million to support the critical work of the Global Fund. Together with our private sector partners we are more committed than ever to raising money and awareness needed to end AIDS as a public health threat," said Deborah Dugan, CEO of (RED).
Comic Relief, the popular U.K. and U.S. charity, announced a three-year partnership through donations raised during its annual events: Red Nose Day and Sport Relief in the U.K. and Red Nose Day America to take place in the U.S. in May 2016. The charity expects to raise US$12 Million for the Global Fund through these initiatives.
"The fight against deadly diseases like AIDS, TB and malaria is stronger than ever thanks to partners coming together to make change happen. Comic Relief's partnership with the Global Fund is a leading example of partnership in action. Our two organizations share the same passion and drive to fight HIV and malaria in Africa and we've worked in tandem to deliver tangible on the ground support where it's needed most," said Kevin Cahill, CEO of Comic Relief.
The British philanthropic organization, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), will invest US$10 million to support the Global Fund's work in Africa. CIFF is the world's largest foundation focused on improving children's lives. The money will be spent in countries with high burdens of pediatric HIV, low access to pediatric treatment, and among the greatest disparity in treatment coverage for children compared to adults living with HIV. "We're very excited about partnering with the Global Fund because we can make real impact with measurable returns for children living with HIV. This partnership will help more children survive and thrive, today and in the future," said Michael Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer at CIFF.
The announcements were made during a dinner hosted by the Global Fund, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals during the Global Fund Pre-Replenishment meeting in Tokyo. This preparatory meeting of the Global Fund Fifth Replenishment, held in Tokyo on 16-17 December, is being attended by health ministers from several countries, as well as global health leaders and partners from the private sector and foundations. Every three years, the Global Fund seeks financial support for its mission through a Replenishment pledging conference. At this week's meeting, the Global Fund will announce a financial target for the pledging conference, to be held in mid-2016.
Private sector organizations and foundations are important partners of the Global Fund and play a pivotal role not only by providing financial resources but contributing their expertise to enhance the impact of Global Fund-supported programs. To date, the Global Fund has received over US$1.69 billion from private sector partners and foundations, including from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and (RED). Other partners such as Coca-Cola, SAP, Ecobank, Munich RE, and others have shared their expertise and provided training to strengthen health systems and improve program implementation.