UK Cuts Global Fund Contribution by 15% — Action for Global Health Responds
Katie Husselby, Network Director for Action for Global Health, said:
“Today, the UK Government announced a 15% cut in its funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Whilst a significant pledge, this is a missed opportunity for the UK to demonstrate genuine solidarity and commitment to improving the health of people in the UK and around the world.
The Global Fund is a highly effective partnership tackling global health inequity and has saved 70 million lives since it was created in 2002. These infectious diseases cause millions of preventable deaths and represent significant public health threats. Every £ lost slows progress and undermines the health systems that protect all of us — from London to Lahore, from Newcastle to Nairobi. Today’s reduction reflects the impact of the ODA cuts announced earlier this year. As with other cuts, this impact will quickly be felt on the ground through lives lost, millions of new infections and weakened health defences.
Investing in health should not be viewed as an optional endeavour — the COVID-19 pandemic taught us that health is the foundation for our societies and prosperity, and that a local outbreak can quickly become a global emergency. We call on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to use the replenishment summit later this month to champion collaboration between countries to tackle the urgent health challenges we face globally.”
Member reactions:
“The £150 million cut from the previous UK pledge could have saved over 220,000 additional lives and provided 270,000 more people with lifesaving HIV medicines. Whether it’s at-risk communities being excluded from preventative health services or people living with HIV losing access to lifesaving medicines, these cuts will have a direct and devastating impact on real people around the world.
The pledge of £850 million means the UK will remain a leading contributor to the Global Fund and we acknowledge the value of this sum in a challenging economic environment. Whilst the government has highlighted that the UK commitment is only a 5% cut compared to its last pledge when converted in US dollars – this is due to exchange rate fluctuations. There is no avoiding the fact that this is a 15% cut from their previous pledge of £1 billion in 2022, which was itself down 30% from £1.4 billion in 2019.”
Gareth Jenkins, Managing Director at Malaria No More UK, said:
“This is a disappointing step-back from the UK’s long-held leadership in the fight against malaria, just as a perfect storm of threats already risk an historic resurgence.
“The Global Fund provides nearly 60% of international financing for malaria programmes, so letting our guard down now could scar Africa’s next generation by claiming tens of thousands more children’s lives. The economic consequences could also be severe with billions wiped from sub-Saharan African economies and weaker trading partnerships denting the UK’s own growth prospects.
“We urge the Prime Minister to fulfil his duty as replenishment co-host by attending the summit in person to galvanise ambitious contributions and meet the needs of this critical global health body at a crossroads in the malaria fight.”
“The decision to reduce the UK’s contribution is deeply concerning and represents a serious setback in the fight to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria,” said Kitty Arie, CEO of Results UK. “We recognise the difficult fiscal environment in which this pledge is made, but this does mark the first time in the Global Fund’s history that a host country has reduced its pledge – setting a worrying precedent for other donor governments and jeopardising the issues the UK Government has said are priorities: global health, strengthening pandemic preparedness and promoting global security. This decision takes us in a different direction – undermining decades of progress and weakening our ability to respond to future threats.”
Joanna Rea, Director of Advocacy for the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) said: “Cutting the UK’s pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria jeopardises vital partnerships that protect children from preventable diseases. It’s a disappointing decision and comes as the UK prepares to co-host a replenishment conference and should be encouraging other donors.
“Malaria continues to be one of the deadliest diseases for children. 76% of malaria deaths in Africa are among under-fives and these deaths are entirely preventable.
“As allocations are being decided, UNICEF UK urges the government to spend at least 25% of the Official Development Assistance budget on programmes for children including health, immunisation and nutrition. Children’s lives and futures are at stake”.
“Almost half of our partners are implementers of Global Fund grants, so we welcome the UK’s contribution to the Global Fund, which we know will make a life and death difference,” said John Plastow, Executive Director at Frontline AIDS.
The UK is co-host of the upcoming Global Fund 8th replenishment in South Africa. “With the UK co-hosting the Global Fund replenishment, we expected a stronger show of leadership, reflecting a proud UK legacy of support to the global goal of ending AIDS,” said Plastow. “There is a danger that this drop in its pledge will lead to reductions in other donor commitments, with real risks for people’s lives and for the global response to HIV.”
“The Global Fund must be able to continue its vital support to communities, especially for key populations such as adolescent girls and young women, transgender women, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs, who have been disproportionately impacted by the aid cuts,” added John Plastow. “To support this, we urge the UK to make an explicit commitment to increase its Global Fund pledge later in the course of this three-year replenishment, when it is able to source additional funding.”