Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Thematic Focus
• Strategy
• Achievements

Overview

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created in 2002 to dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The Global Fund invests in large-scale prevention, treatment, and care programs and supports national health systems and health workers in the world's poorest regions.

The Global Fund  provides grants to fund services that deliver results for the people who need them the most. An estimated 8.7 million lives have been saved so far through Global Fund support.

Since its creation, the Global Fund has committed more than $22.9 billion for grants in 151 countries. It is now the largest funding mechanism for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. The Global Fund takes a country-led approach, with national governments and local organizations leading program design and implementation.

Canada has supported the Global Fund since its inception and has consistently been a strong voice and active member of  the Global Fund Board. In September 2010, Canada pledged $540 million to the Global Fund, bringing Canada's total commitment since 2002 to more than $1.5 billion—the largest ever made by Canada to an international health institution. This most recent pledge is helping to safeguard the substantial achievements already made through Global Fund grants and is expanding prevention, care, and treatment programs for those most vulnerable to these three diseases.

Together, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria cause an estimated 5 million deaths per year—the vast majority occurring among people who live in poverty—while there are proven and effective interventions for preventing and treating these diseases.

Canada's support of the Global Fund is an essential part of its efforts to reach three of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

• Combat HIV, malaria and other diseases (MDG 6)
• Reduce child mortality (MDG 4)
• Improve maternal health (MDG 5)

Thematic Focus

The Global Fund's mandate aligns closely with two of CIDA's priority themes: securing the future of children and youth and stimulating sustainable economic growth.

Children and youth

About 90 percent of malaria deaths occur in children, the number of AIDS orphans is currently estimated at more than 25 million, and, as technology to diagnose childhood tuberculosis (TB) improves, case detection of TB among children is on the increase. By focusing on these diseases, the Global Fund is a key multilateral partner for CIDA in its efforts to secure a future for children and youth. Reducing the spread of these diseases and providing appropriate care and treatment will significantly improve the lives of children and youth.

Economic growth

HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis influence economic growth. Studies prove that HIVAIDS slows economic activity, widens economic inequality, causes severe financial strain on affected households, and places the physical and emotional well-being of orphaned children at risk. Tuberculosis (TB) most often strikes poor adults in their most productive years, and causes economic losses of about 20 to 30 percent per year. Persons living with HIV/AIDS are increasingly vulnerable to TB infection, with TB being the cause of death for one in four HIV-related deaths. By ensuring access to treatment, prevention, and care, CIDA's support to the Global Fund  is reducing the economic impact of these diseases, helping developing countries grow their economies, and providing new opportunities for their citizens.

CIDA's Strategy for Working with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

CIDA's work with the Global Fund focuses on three strategic objectives:

1. Improving alignment with recipient country policies and processes. This includes:
   • Aligning the Global Fund's programs with national monitoring and evaluation systems to reduce the burden on recipient countries
   • Ensuring that the voices of the implementing partners are heard so that on-the-ground knowledge is adequately integrated into decision-making

   CIDA will also explore alignment and harmonization issues in its country programs to generate lessons learned and best practices.

2. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Global Fund's governance, policies, and processes. This includes:
   • Encouraging policies and processes to standardize costs for drugs, commodities, and services
   • Strengthening financial management
   • Closely following audits and investigations

   By using resources more effectively, both the Global Fund and the recipient countries will reduce unnecessary costs and free up resources to fund more programs, ultimately increasing impact.

3. Simplifying granting mechanisms and procedures to save time and money for both the Global Fund and recipient countries.

Achievements

Since its creation in 2002, with the support of CIDA and other donors, the Global Fund has:

• Supported approximately half of the global patients receiving AIDS treatment
• Provided 65 percent of international funding to fight tuberculosis and malaria
• Supported programs that, every month, save approximately 100,000 lives and prevent thousands of new infections
• Saved an estimated 8.7 million lives to date
• Provided an estimated US$ 7.8 billion to assist countries to overcome bottlenecks in the delivery of lifesaving services and to improve the effectiveness of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria programs

Since setting up systems for results tracking in 2004, with the support of CIDA and other donors, the Global Fund has ensured that:

HIV

• 4.2 million people received life-saving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS
• 4.2 billion condoms were distributed
• 250 million HIV counselling and testing sessions were conducted
• 6.3 million children orphaned by, or vulnerable to, AIDS were provided with basic care and support services  
• 1.7 million HIV-positive pregnant women received antiretroviral drugs  to prevent HIV transmission to infants

Tuberculosis

• 9.7 million new cases of infectious tuberculosis were detected and treated
• 64,000 multidrug resistant cases of tuberculosis were treated

Malaria

• 310 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed to protect families from transmission
• 260 million malaria drug treatments were provided