May 9, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., May 9, 2016 — Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria applauds today’s announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Canadian government will host the Fifth Voluntary Replenishment Pledging Conference for the Global Fund in Montréal. The event will be held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 16, 2016.
Prime Minister Trudeau also announced that the government of Canada will pledge CAN $785 million to the Global Fund’s 2017-2019 Replenishment – a 20 percent increase over the country’s 2014-2016 pledge. Global Fund Executive Director Mark Dybul, Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Loyce Maturu, a tuberculosis survivor and HIV peer educator from Zimbabwe, joined Prime Minister Trudeau for the announcement in Ottawa.
All speakers emphasized the need to engage youth in mobilizing resources to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and to better target health programs for the highly vulnerable populations of women and girls. Both of these goals serve as key components of the Replenishment’s #EndItForGood campaign.
“It’s heartening to see the Canadian government grow its strong leadership in global health through an increased pledge and as host of the Fifth Replenishment Conference,” said Kim Cernak, Deputy Director of Friends of the Global Fight. “We look forward to seeing public and private partners across the globe join Canada in making robust commitments to the Global Fund, enabling the partnership to continue its strategic efforts to end these devastating epidemics.”
The world’s largest public health financier, the Global Fund raises and invests nearly $4 billion per year in funding for partners throughout the world in support of large-scale treatment, prevention and care programs. The Global Fund partnership has saved more than 17 million lives since 2002, and Global Fund-supported countries have seen a 36 percent decline in HIV infections, a 29 percent decline in tuberculosis mortality, and a 48 percent in malaria mortality between 2000 and 2014.
The Global Fund Replenishment Conference takes place every three years, most recently hosted in 2013 by President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. For the 2017-2019 Replenishment cycle, Global Fund officials aim to raise $13 billion – a contribution that is projected to save up to 8 million more lives, avert up to 300 million new infections, support partners in domestic investment of $41 billion in the fight against the three diseases, and make additional milestones achievable.
In addition to Canada’s commitment to the Global Fund, the U.S. government has demonstrated steadfast leadership in global health, serving as the largest contributor the Global Fund and through bilateral programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
FRIENDS OF THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
Friends of the Global Fight works to end the worldwide burden of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We educate, engage and mobilize U.S. decision makers to support the Global Fund, the world’s largest public health financier. For more information about Friends of the Global Fight, visit www.theglobalfight.org.
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Contact:
Katie Broendel
+1 202 912 3833
[email protected]
