Qatar Pledges $10 Million to the Global Fund
16 September 2016
MONTREAL - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today welcomed the first contribution by Qatar to the partnership, a pledge of US$10 million to support the Global Fund's goal of ending epidemics of AIDS, TB and malaria for good.
Dr. Hanan Mohammad Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, made the pledge during the Global Fund's Fifth Replenishment Conference, which is being hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal. World leaders and partners from governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases are gathering to secure funding for the coming three years.
"Fighting TB and providing access to health services to refugees and displaced populations in the Middle East region are an important priority for Qatar," said Minister Al-Kuwari.
Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, thanked Minister Al-Kuwari and the people of Qatar, saying the contribution demonstrates a commitment to shared responsibility for global health.
"Qatar is choosing engagement rather than isolation," said Dr. Dybul. "Their investment will support programs that save millions of lives, improve access to quality health services and promote opportunity and social justice."
In the Middle East, programs supported by the Global Fund provide essential HIV, TB and malaria services to key and vulnerable populations including refugees, internally displaced people, women, children and other populations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
Since 2002, programs supported by the Global Fund partnership have saved 20 million lives across the world, and averted 146 million new infections since 2012.