Global Fund in limbo

Global Fund in limbo

By Dr Arvind Kumar

Media reports show that international assistance to the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and Malaria has more than halved the estimated amount of money available in its next round of funding, the disbursement of which has been delayed until 2013, due to the world economic crisis. The delay in Round 11 funding was announced at the Fund's latest board meeting on 26 September, the second such delay, which has pushed the application deadline back to at least 1 March 2012. According to Christoph Benn, director of the Fund's external relations and partnerships, the size of the pot has also shrunk - to US$800 million, less than half of the $1.5 billion projected for the round as of mid-2011.

According to Mario Raviglione, director of Stop TB, more than 70 percent of antiretroviral drugs in the developing world are funded by the Global Fund and in Africa; it finances about 85 percent of TB programming. Mario further cautioned that reductions in Global Fund money and international global health funding are likely to reverse recent gains in the fight against TB and increase mortality, he cautioned. Talking to the media recently Mario Raviglione said: "A postponement of rounds at the Global Fund and decline in international funding will have dramatic consequences in the attempt to respond to the multidrug resistant TB epidemic and that's where the funding gap is greatest." The international financial crisis has adversely impacted on the countries in Euro zone, Japan and the United States thereby culminating in reduction in assistance to the Global Fund. The recipient countries, particularly those in Africa, will have to raise local resources and avoid frauds.

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