WASHINGTON — The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has saved 27 million lives in its 16 years of operation. That’s the headline from a new report that shows the effectiveness of the Global Fund and the danger of complacency in the fight against preventable diseases. World leaders will gather in Lyon, France, in October 2019 to replenish the Fund through 2022. The ONE Campaign, the global policy and advocacy organization co-founded by U2 lead singer, Bono, issued the following reaction to the new report.

Jenny Ottenhoff, director of global health policy at The ONE Campaign, said:

“Smart, effective investments by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria have saved 27 million lives, and given hope to tens of millions more. The Global Fund is the world’s largest international funder for treatment and prevention for TB and malaria, and the second-largest international funder of treatment and prevention for HIV/AIDS, the Global Fund is one of the most innovative, accountable, and efficient health organizations on the planet. This report affirms the Fund’s unique value to the world’s health and the importance of its successful replenishment in France next year.

“Our progress against the AIDS epidemic, in particular, is both remarkable and fragile. Incredible results in the fight against against HIV/AIDS has created a false sense of security about an epidemic that still claims more than 2,500 lives every day. The fact is: AIDS is still a crisis, and we need the Global Fund now more than ever.

“Over the coming year, The ONE Campaign and its over 9 million members around the globe will campaign enthusiastically to ensure the Global Fund has the resources it needs to continue saving lives and eradicating these preventable diseases.”

In 2017, countries and regions where the Global Fund invests achieved the following major results:

• 17.5 million people are on antiretroviral therapy treatment.
• 79.1 million HIV tests taken.
• 3.4 million people living with HIV receive care and support services.
• 696 thousand mothers received medicine to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmissions HIV to their children.
• 9.4 million people reached with HIV prevention programs.

Read the full report here.

The ONE Campaign is a non-partisan policy and advocacy organization of more than 9 million people around the world taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.