The Global Fund closed its fifth Replenishment Conference with over USD 12.9 billion pledged, out of its funding target of USD 13 billion requested of donors. The meeting was in Montreal, Canada on Saturday 17th of September 2016.
“The Global Fund has reason to celebrate an increase in donor contributions, however, the success of the Replenishment conference should be balanced by the reality of who is at risk of being left behind.
The truth of the matter is that the Global Fund lowered its ambitions and set the funding target at what it would be able to raise from donor countries, rather than what it requires to bridge the yawning gap in needs and to meet the challenges ahead in fighting the three killer diseases. The lower funding target is also aligned with the limitations the Global Fund has placed on how much funds some countries can receive and for which interventions.
Celebration of the replenishment results will ring hollow if it means prematurely cutting support to middle-income countries that are grappling with growing epidemics or other countries with large unmet needs.
We call for the Global Fund to have an honest reckoning of the impact of its policies and to put an immediate freeze on any further rationing of funding. The Global Fund must continue to raise and mobilise additional resources as a priority.”
Mit Philips, Health Policy Advisor, MSF Operational Centre Brussels