The ONE campaign welcome’s Ireland’s commitment to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The pledge, made today ahead of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, amounts to a 50 per cent increase in Ireland’s previous commitment to the fund.

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In January 2019, The Global Fund announced it was urgently seeking $14 billion to continue its life-saving work for the next three years. If it meets this goal, the Global Fund could help save 16 million lives between 2021-2023.

Jamie Drummond, co-founder of The ONE Campaign said “As some others step back, Ireland is proudly stepping up in the fight against extreme poverty and diseases. It’s brilliant that Minister Zappone just pledged a 50 per cent increase for the hugely effective Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It’s an outrage that 1,000 young women in Africa contract HIV every day. Ireland’s generosity will help reverse this and contribute to saving 16 million lives from these diseases over the next few years. Other nations must now follow Ireland’s great leadership – if all countries demonstrated the same ambition, we could end these diseases once and for all.”

In October 2019, the Global Fund Replenishment Conference will take place in Lyon, France. The Fund relies on voluntary financial contributions from all sectors: the private sector, foundations, individuals, and donor governments. Crucially Ninety-five percent of all Global Fund support comes from donor governments.

ENDS

Media Contact: Sile Murphy, Q4PR, 086 0288 132.

Note to Editors

• Ireland is one of the very first countries to announce its pledge for the Global Fund. The commitment was announced ahead of the Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health’ in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hosted by Rwandan President and AU chair Paul Kagame, African leaders commit will commit to increase the percentage of GDP invested in health.

• For its next replenishment conference in Lyon, France, on 10 October, the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria is seeking $14 billion to continue its life-saving work for the next three years. ONE is launching a global campaign to secure this sum over the next 8 months.

About ONE:

ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organisation of more than nine million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programmes. Read more at www.one.org.