As part of the global drive to see progress in the fight HIV,TB and malaria accelerate and deliver a strong message to African leaders in the mid-year coordinating meeting for the African Uion and Regional Economic Communities. Hundreds of people join a continental march to use the power of their voice to demand for increased domestic resource mobilization and commitments to meet the $$ 18billion global fund target. These collective voices represented the urgency to galvanise action and boost financial pledges.”
The match was flagged off by the Minister of Health Hon Sylvia Masebo, civil society, religious leaders, private sector and young people. These voices unite to inspire urgent public and political action to step up the fight in the run up to a critical moment for funding – the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Replenishment conference in September in New York.
The match serves as timely reminder to the African leaders ahead of the AU summit about the devastating impact of the three diseases. ‘With the right leadership, tools and funding, millions of lives continue to saved! This is critical in the delivery and action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and represents an important moment towards achieving SDG 3 – to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages – as well as accelerating progress against multiple other SDGs and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).’ Rosemary Mburu
It is important to note that the Global Fund’s target of at least US $18 billion includes funding from the private sector. However – these three diseases are huge global problems and they need a global large-scale approach. We need all hands-on deck! We definitely cannot take on this challenge on piece meal. The Global Fund operates in over 100 countries, across the world building on why it is best placed to take on this global epidemic.
In recent months it has been exciting to see other countries step up and increase their commitment to the Global Fund for the next three years. Against this backdrop we urge the African governments to demonstrate continued global leadership in the fight against these three epidemics by increasing the overall contribution by 30% to Global Fund and to domestic resources for health.
The purpose of the march is to accelerate and maintain momentum on the push for a fully replenished Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The pledge from African states will bring our countries one step closer to keeping the promise on achieving better health care for all by 2030. Achieving the hugely ambitious goal – which will prevent xx cases and save xx lives.
“We have a real and rare opportunity to be a part of ending this diseases and changing history, which is why I’m so delighted to call on leaders to step up their support for the Global Fund ,” said Evaline Kibuchi of Stop TB.
In addition to its immediate life-saving impact, funding the Global Fund will also help to boost economic growth and enable countries to take ownership of tackling their own disease burden. The Global Fund is a smart investment and remains a highly effective mechanism for investment in global health and security. The Global Fund delivers strong value for money. This includes leveraging domestic investments in health from countries affected by the three diseases. More than one-third of the Global Fund’s investments go to building resilient and sustainable systems for health, which have a powerful multiplier effect, not only on people’s overall health status but also on countries as a whole.
Investment by African leaders through the Global Fund has been a critical driver of progress to date and will be essential to staying on the right side of the tipping point. The current trajectory of progress could fall away, costing millions of lives and billions of dollars, or we could seize the opportunity to accelerate action to reach the globally agreed goals on AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030.