News Releases

Dutch Postcode Lottery Supports TB Programs for Syrian Refugees

28 January 2016

AMSTERDAM - The Dutch Postcode Lottery announced a contribution of €2.5 million to the Global Fund to support the fight against tuberculosis among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match the contribution from the Dutch Postcode Lottery.

"Partnerships like this allow us to better focus on leaving no one behind, regardless of their status, circumstance, or ethnic and religious background," said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund. "TB is a serious challenge, and collective efforts to reduce it are ultimately connected with achieving quality access to health care by all."

Marieke van Schaik, Managing Director of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, said: "We are honored to grant this award to the Global Fund to support the work that the organization is doing in emergency situations."

The Global Fund partnership, through the Emergency Fund special initiative, provides access to funds in emergency situations connected with HIV, TB or malaria. The Emergency Fund currently supports the provision and continuity of essential TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in Lebanon and Jordan, and will be expanded to Iraq.

Since the outbreak of the Syria crisis in 2011, more than 4 million Syrian refugees have sought shelter in neighboring countries, mostly in overcrowded camps and informal settlements with no or limited access to health services.

Infectious diseases such as TB are on the rise, both among refugees and host communities, and significantly increase the burden on already overstretched public health systems.

The commitment by the Dutch Postcode Lottery was warmly welcomed by Global Fund partners based in Amsterdam like Stop AIDS Now! and the Global Fund Advocates Network.

Since 1989, the Dutch Postcode Lottery has been raising funds to support organizations working for a fairer, greener world. Fifty percent of its income goes to charity. The lottery has grown to become the Netherlands' biggest charity lottery and supports 95 nongovernmental organizations. Since its founding, the lottery has dispensed over €4.7 billion to its beneficiaries.