United States $3.5 billion investment to combat COVID

Global Fund applauds the United States for $3.5 billion emergency investment to combat COVID-19

The Global Fund lauded the U.S. government for its approval of US$3.5 billion in emergency funding to aid the Global Fund’s effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries.

This unprecedented support is expected to further speed-up the Global Fund’s response to the pandemic, which is critical to the preservation of lives and the protection of the gains made against HIV, TB and malaria over the last 20 years.

In 2020, COVID-19 has occasioned a vast disruption to HIV, TB and malaria service delivery. A key part of The Global Fund’s COVID-19 response is mitigating the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak on these three diseases, protecting health workers and reinforcing health systems.

The latest funding will help low- and middle-income countries expand testing capabilities and ensure that health care workers are provided with the much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE). Also, the investment will go towards helping the countries contain the virus and its variants, while ensuring that infected person can access the care and treatment (like oxygen supplies) and the governments can prepare for the successful delivery of their vaccines. It will save many lives, reduce suffering and help economies to reopen safely.

“We are tremendously thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for their long-standing and exceptional leadership in global health,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund.

“This bold support will save many lives and reinvigorate economies around the world. We are hopeful that other donors will follow the lead of the United States and use emergency funding to support efforts by the Global Fund and other ACT-Accelerator partners to fight COVID-19 and deliver health security for all,” he added.