Donors must 'seize this opportunity' to fully support the Global Fund

At a recent donor conference in Brussels, Belgium, "the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria presented a compelling case for funding the organization to not only tackle these diseases but also to accelerate gains against them," a Lancet editorial states, noting, "A needs assessment report by the fund and its partners estimated that $87 billion would be required from all sources -- domestic and external funders -- for 2014-16 to effectively fight the three diseases in low-income and middle-income countries, with $15 billion coming from the fund." The editorial continues, "The gains of the collective funding would certainly be impressive, according to estimates in the report," which "also noted that investment now would make economic sense by preventing billions of dollars in additional costs over the long term."

"Despite a turbulent past year, the fund continued to deliver results," The Lancet states, adding, "A new era of stability is dawning for the fund with Mark Dybul, a highly experienced executive director, now at the helm, and the rollout of a revised funding model in 2014, which should achieve more strategic investment." The Global Fund's Fourth Replenishment round, to be held later this year, "will be the organization's last before the Millennium Development Goals deadline in 2015," the editorial notes, concluding, "The Fund is right to have made a bold funding target for accelerated progress. Last week, Dybul stated that 'a historic opportunity' now existed to completely control AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Donors must seize this opportunity" (4/20).