U.N.receives $4 billion to fight disease

published by UPI, September 7, 2005

LONDON , Sept. 7 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is accepting pledges of nearly $4 billion to further the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"The pledges made here today will go a long way towards ensuring the longer-term sustainability of the Global Fund. They will help it plan for the future. They will help countries establish comprehensive programs to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria," said Annan in London Tuesday, at a replenishment meeting of the fund.

"These two days represent a key moment in the life of the Global Fund, which in just three short years has firmly established itself as one of the leading financial mechanisms in the global fight against these three diseases," Annan said.

After thanking government, civil society and private sector donors for their generosity and support, Annan urged better coordination among donors.

"It is not enough to raise more money. It is equally important to ensure that the money is made to work for the people who need it most," he said.

The U.N.-backed fund said it planned to add the $3.7 billion pledged by 29 nations to the $3 billion already at work in 129 nations.

Annan also said he, and the U.N. family of agencies, were committed to working with nations to overcome implementation obstacles.

After an independent investigation found evidence of serious mismanagement by the Ugandan Ministry of Health, the Global Fund said recently it had suspended its grant activity in Uganda pending reforms.

Additionally, bureaucratic obstacles to program implementation in Myanmar forced the mid-August termination of fund activities in that nation.

The Global Fund was an independent body focused on collecting and distributing resources to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The three diseases claim more than 6 million lives each year, the fund said.