On the eve of the G8 summit, world leaders were reminded by the International Federation and other organizations of the need to ensure a sustainable funding mechanism for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), diseases which kill six million people each year.
Speaking on the opening day of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Dr. Massimo Barra, of the Italian Red Cross, said the Fund was facing a shortfall of US$ 1.4 billion this year. “The situation is now reaching a crisis.
Not only are we concerned about the Global Fund’s ability to fund new scientifically-approved programmes, we are now faced with the possibility that we will not be able to support approved programmes beyond two years.
This is outrageous when we are talking about providing people with life-saving drug therapy for AIDS and tuberculosis,” said Dr. Barra, a Board representative.
The GFATM currently has funding to provide anti-tuberculosis treatment to two million people, anti-malaria protection to 30 million African families, medical treatment for 500,000 people living with AIDS and support to 500,000 children orphaned by AIDS.