FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5th October 2010

LOW PLEDGES PLACE LIVES AT RISK

New York, NY, United States – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has just concluded its 3rd Voluntary Replenishment Meeting in New York, United States, where countries pledge an amount of US$ 11.687 billion[1].

“We were expecting at least US$ 20 billion to continue the efforts against the three diseases in saving lives,” says Ms. Carol Nyirenda, Board Member of the Communities Delegation. “But instead, the majority of donors have chosen politics above the need for socio-economic reform.”

“We are at the point of having huge impacts against the 3 diseases, and to turn around now would be disastrous for all that we have achieved in the last 25 years,” says Mr. Shaun Mellors, Incoming Alternate Board Member of the Communities Delegation. “We applaud some donors who have stepped up to the plate by pledging what was expected and call on others to prioritise the lives of people.”

Although this is not the end of the replenishment process, the Communities Delegation is extremely concerned at the impact that this will have in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. As it is, we have not achieved Universal Access commitments made by World Leaders at the Gleneagles Summit in 2005.

The impacts from this meeting will likely result in millions being denied access to treatment, prevention and support for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The Communities Delegation calls on donor governments to ensure that the Replenishment process continues in earnest to meet the US$ 20 billion necessary to accelerate achievements attained thus far.

“The implications from the outcomes of this Replenishment meeting will be reflected in the upcoming Global Fund Board Meeting in December, when the Global Fund Board will decide on Round 10 grants allocations. It will be a hard reality check, if the Global Fund is not able to finance the demand expressed through proposals of good quality,” says Mr. Javier Hourcade Bellocq, Executive Director of Friends of the Fund Latin America and Caribbean and Communities Delegation Member. “It is time to explore a different approach to mobilising resources for the Global Fund, including bringing in more emerging economies and members of the G20 to play a more active role; moving away from the mindset of recipient countries.”

The Communities Delegation is committed to working with the Global Fund secretariat and other board delegations to ensure sufficient emphasis and priority is placed on achieving the US$ 20 billion target.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Carol Nyirenda, +260.977.960.043, Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla

Mr. Shaun Mellors, +271.281.690.08, Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla

Ms. Rachel Ong, +65.9067.3183, Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla

For further information on the activities by the Communities Delegation and other civil society organisations, please visit http://www.globalfundreplenishment.org

[1] Firm pledges from public donors, foundations, the private sector and innovative finance instruments amounted to US$9.162 billion, with the Global Fund Secretariat conservatively projecting a further US$2.525 billion to be contributed over the replenishment period, reflecting contributions expected from governments that were not in a position to pledge, as well as further contributions from public and private donors and innovative finance mechanisms.