The Rockefeller Foundation Pledges US$15 Million to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

New commitment increases the Foundation's support to US$30 million (2020-2025) for the Global Fund's efforts to save lives, build resilient and sustainable health systems, and strengthen pandemic preparedness

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rockefeller Foundation announces it will commit US$15 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria ahead of the Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference on Wednesday, September 21. This year, the Global Fund partnership aims to raise US$18 billion to protect hard-fought gains against these infectious diseases in the face of Covid-19 and to finance ongoing projects through 2025.

"Fifty million people are alive today because of the Global Fund's work to fight HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria," said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "As Covid-19 and other crises continue to undermine progress against these and other public health threats, The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to recommit to the Global Fund so it can restart progress and finish the job."

This year, The Rockefeller Foundation's Global Fund pledge will finance the Laboratory Systems Strengthening Catalytic Fund, a mechanism for accelerating the development of public health laboratories across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

"Public health labs help the world find, understand, and stop deadly diseases before they spread," said Dr. Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation. "The Global Fund gives labs the resources to expand their workforce and build networks for sharing information about emerging threats. Robust labs are key for preventing the next pandemic, and that's why we're proud to support the Laboratory Systems Strengthening Fund."

In addition to today's commitment, the Foundation provided US$15 million in October 2019 to the Global Fund's Data Science Catalytic Fund, a project to fortify community health information systems and streamline health care delivery in LMICs using digital tools.

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund works with an array of global partners to implement broad strategies for eradicating infectious diseases and strengthening regional health systems. To date, the Global Fund partnership has invested more than US$55.4 billion into treatment and prevention for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria – saving an estimated 50 million lives and reducing the combined death rate from the three diseases by more than half in target geographies.

According to the Fund's newly released 2022 Results Report:

• 23.3 million people have received lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for HIV.
• 5.3 million people have been treated for TB.
• 148 million cases of malaria have been treated.

In 2020, for the first time in its history, the Global Fund saw declines in key health indicators across all three priority diseases. That year, HIV testing fell by 22% and prevention services by 11%. TB deaths increased, fueled by a surge in undiagnosed and untreated cases. Malaria deaths also significantly increased in 2020, due in part to Covid-19 disruptions for critical health services.

Today's commitment continues The Rockefeller Foundation's legacy of funding initiatives that seek to improve health outcomes for the world's most vulnerable populations, including its global campaign against hookworm over 100 years ago, seeding the development of the yellow fever vaccine, and supporting translational research for tools including penicillin. In addition, the Foundation supported efforts to combat malaria in Latin America (1915), advanced research to stop the spread of TB in Jamaica (1927-42), and initiated landmark research for an HIV vaccine (1994).

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The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work throughout the world to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to healthy and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.

SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation