'Priority Second to None'
Global Fund Fights AIDS, TB, and Malaria
By Kristin Gilmore for the Chronicle
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| The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, established in 2002, held an international meeting on 16 July in Paris, France to garner support for the Fund—an independent, public-private partnership that is "working to attract significant new resources to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and to innovatively manage and disburse these funds to effective prevention and treatment programmes in countries in greatest need". UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a champion of the Fund, in a video message to participants commended the meeting, stating that "by gathering today, you are showing your commitment to mobilizing greater support for the Fund, and ensuring that it lives up to its full potential". Its purpose, as financial instrument rather than an implementing mechanism, is to make sustainable and significant contributions to countries in need to reduce the prevalence of the diseases, thus mitigating their impact and "contributing to poverty reduction as part of the Millennium Development Goals". The Secretary-General also told participants that "to mount an effective global response to HIV/AIDS alone, the total spending needs to rise to $10 billion a year by 2005". The Fund has committed, in the past eighteen months, $1.5 billion to 150 programmes in 92 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, through two rounds of grants. At the close of the meeting, European Commission President Roman Prodi personally committed to advocate for a $1 billion contribution from Europe for 2004; "I am the guarantor for the $1 billion," he said. United States President George W. Bush has also promised $1 billion, provided that Europe fulfils its pledge. On the subject of contributions, the Secretary-General noted that "today, we have an opportunity to build on the leadership shown by a number of countries in the movement to support the Fund. We look to more donors to follow their example," although he also recommended that support could take many forms, including "direct financial contributions, practical support for operations, mobilization within recipient countries". The Secretary-General concluded his remarks by saying that "turning the tide on AIDS, TB and malaria is a priority second to none. We will remain a full and committed partner in the collective struggle towards our common goal." Likewise, the Fund has stated that it is "alarmed" by the spread of the diseases and promotes a "substantial additional effort from developed and developing country governments, multilateral agencies, the private, voluntary, traditional and academic sectors, research and private foundations". |
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| Global Fund |
| HIV/AIDS: Slowing Eroding Food Security |
| UN Agencies' Joint Efforts Against AIDS in the Americas |
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