Washington, DC – Today, anti-poverty group ONE issued the following statement on recent news reports on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria:

“The Global Fund is one of the most effective and transparent organizations engaged in the fight against poverty and disease – bar none. The Fund has saved more than 6 million lives that would have otherwise been lost to AIDS, TB and malaria, and it has done so while taking a zero tolerance approach to fraud and corruption.

“A recent media report, based on old information previously reported by the Fund, incorrectly suggested that fraud is widespread in Fund grants. It is not. To the contrary, of the US $13 billion disbursed by the Global Fund to date, the Fund is seeking recovery of $34 million that is unaccounted for – a fraction of the Fund’s overall grant-making.

“We are outraged that any assistance has gone missing – particularly given the life and death stakes of the Fund’s work – but we are encouraged that the Fund has made cracking down on fraud a top priority and been so transparent about any problems it uncovers. The Fund has done an impressive job of identifying instances of corruption and, in many cases, getting the money back.

“Sadly, fraud and abuse exist everywhere, in poor and rich countries alike, but the theft of resources meant to save the lives of desperately poor people is particularly despicable. Increasingly, development organizations like the Global Fund are investing more resources in vigorously stamping out fraud. As they step up this enforcement effort, we will undoubtedly hear about other individual instances of abuse; but we will also be moving towards a better system, where funds we are sending to fight poverty and disease in the poorest parts of the world are used more effectively and safeguarded more vigorously than ever before.”