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Health Reporter
THE Global Fund has pledged US$14,02 billion to help save 16 million lives and disease burdened countries like Zimbabwe to end Aids, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
Zimbabwe has the fifth highest HIV prevalence in the world at 13,3 percent and the country is also one of the 20 burdened countries when it comes to Tuberculosis.
In a statement, the Global Fund revealed the three-year fund is the largest amount ever raised for a multilateral health organization and the largest amount by the Global Fund since its inception.
“Donors at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference held in France pledged US$14,02 billion for the next three years to end epidemics by 2030. Health programmes supported by the Global Fund have saved more than 32 million lives since its inception in 2002 and provided prevention, treatment and care services to hundreds of millions of people,” read the statement.
Addressing the conference, several heads of state and government of African countries praised donors and partners for their global solidarity and stressed the importance of domestic financing to develop long-term sustainability of health programmes.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Vital investments by the Global Fund are going to help the globe meet the health-related SDGs, as well as to address poverty and inequality. The Global Fund invests US$1 billion yearly to help build resilient and sustainable systems for health, a critical component for universal health coverage.”
The Global Fund has been one of the major contributors to financing the Zimbabwe’s health programmes, specifically the HIV/AIDS scourge.
The programme has contributed to a marked decrease in HIV prevalence, with Zimbabwe being commended globally for managing to bring down its prevalence rate to between 13,5 and 14 percent from around 30 percent, according to official statistics.
Access to drugs by those in need has also increased due to programmes by international agencies such as the Global Fund.
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