Global Fund Says Millions More Reached In Fight Against AIDS, TB, Malaria
The worlds biggest fund for the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria said Tuesday it has significantly expanded its programs over the past year.
The Global Fund, which is financed by government and private donations, said it has committed grants totaling 7,6 billion US dollar and now provides disease-fighting help to tens of millions of people in 136 countries.
The money has so far given 450 grants worth 3,5 billion dollar to provide 30 million nets to ward off malaria-carrying mosquitoes, drugs against tuberculosis for 2,8 million people, and antiretroviral medicines for more than 1 million HIV-sufferers.
It said the number of tuberculosis cases treated also doubled from a year ago and the number getting insecticide-treated bed nets to protect against the bite of the mosquito that spreads malaria more than doubled.
– So far we estimate that the programs funded by the Global Fund have saved the lives 1,8 million people – that is the lives of 3.000 people a day who would otherwise be dead from AIDS, TB and malaria, said Michel Kazatchkine, the funds executive director.
The Fund is currently providing approximately two-thirds of support against malaria and TB worldwide, and around a quarter of support for HIV/AIDS, he added.
Joia Mukherjee, medical director for the group “Partners in Health”, which received one of the first Global Fund grants, said the Fund was vital not just in tackling the three diseases, but also in supporting public health infrastructure in developing countries.
In countries such as Rwanda, Haiti and Lesotho, the Global Funds programmes have “huge amounts of collateral benefits for the health system in general”, she noted.
Mukherjee called on the G8 leaders to deepen their commitment to fighting AIDS, TB and malaria, and stressed the importance of taking a long-term perspective on funding commitments, for periods of 10 to 20 years.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
