US: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria raised US$14.25 billion on Wednesday at a donor conference led by US President Joe Biden, as decades of progress against the diseases are set back by COVID-19.
It was the highest amount ever pledged for a multilateral health organisation -- but fell short of the ambitious goal of US$18 billion after the United Kingdom and Italy said their pledges would come later.
The Global Fund was created in 2002, bringing together governments, multilateral agencies, civil society groups and the private sector.
Among countries, the United States pledged the highest amount, $6 billion, followed by France with 1.6 billion euros, 1.3 billion euros by Germany, US$1.08 billion by Japan, Can$1.21 billion by Canada and 715 million Euros by the European Union. The Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million.
The US$18 billion target was based on getting back on track to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030, recovering ground lost during the COVID pandemic and saving 20 million lives over the next three years.
But the Global Fund, which provides 76 percent of all international financing for fighting TB, said the programs had shown signs of recovery last year.
Similarly, the number of people provided with HIV prevention services rose again after dropping in 2020, reaching 12.5 million people worldwide, the organization said. The fund provides nearly a third of all international financing to battle HIV.
- NDTV
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