Brussels, 04/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - As a co-founder of the Global Fund against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the European Commission is proposing at least a 10% increase in its contribution over the next three years towards this multilateral funding mechanism, established in 2001 to fight these three poverty related diseases. Andris Piebalgs, the European commissioner for development, will make this announcement on Tuesday 5 October in New York at the Replenishment Pledging Conference for this fund (the third of its kind) for the 2011-2013 period.
In order for the Commission proposal to be put into practice, it still needs to obtain the approval of the EU's budgetary authority (Parliament/Council) and the group of ACP countries (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) linked to the EU through the Cotonou agreement. If it is approved, it will take the European Commission's contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) up to € 330 million. In a press release published just before the conference, Commissioner Piebalgs provided assurances that the “the EU will continue to support the Global Fund in fighting against these deadly diseases". He pointed out that in this context “creating more and inclusive growth in developing countries to reach the MDGs can simply not be achieved without a healthy population”. The commissioner explained that two weeks ago during the UN MDG summit the world committed to turn the Millennium Development "Goals" into "Realities".
From 2002 to 2010, the European Commission has contributed a total of €972.5 million, which makes it the fifth largest donor to the fund (after the USA, France, Italy and Japan).
Over the same period, the European Union (member states and the Commission) has contributed more than $9 billion or 52% of the GFATM resources. From 2002 to 2009, the Global Fund has committed $19.3 billion for 572 grants in 144 countries and has disbursed $10.3 billion to grant recipients (53%). It has put over 2.5 million people on HIV/AIDS treatment, 6 million people on anti-tuberculosis treatment and distributed 104 million insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention. (A.N./transl.fl)