LONDON, UK – 11 NOVEMBER, 2025 – The ONE Campaign has reacted to the government’s announcement that it will pledge £850 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria between 2026 and 2028.

Adrian Lovett, UK Executive Director of ONE said:

“In the context of deep cuts to the overall budget for international assistance, this investment in the Global Fund is a welcome commitment to collective efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria – but ministers must go further.

“This pledge could help save 1.4 million lives in the next three years. But if the government had matched the UK’s previous commitment, it could have helped save 255,000 more lives, many of them children. Labour’s devastating 40% cut to the overall budget for international assistance has forced officials into impossible, life-or-death decisions. 

“It is thanks to the tireless efforts of all those in parliament and across the country that the government has not made even deeper cuts to the Global Fund. With the UK co-hosting this replenishment conference next week, the Prime Minister should pick up the phone and urge other world leaders to make strong commitments – and be ready to find additional funds so that the UK plays its full part in this vital initiative.

“Last week, it was revealed that £74 million has been saved by reducing the cost of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers here in the UK – money that had been taken from the international assistance budget. Ministers should use those funds to top up this Global Fund pledge, helping to save more lives and increasing the chances of a successful replenishment in Johannesburg.

“Investing in the fight against these deadly diseases has the wide support of the public. They recognise it is not only the right thing to do, but that it is in our own interests. Viruses and diseases do not stop at borders – so when we invest in healthier lives abroad, we make ourselves safer here at home too.”

-ENDS-

Notes:

• The government’s written statement of 11 November to parliament announcing the UK pledge to the Global Fund can be found here.  
• 62% of the public said the UK should maintain or increase its support for the Global Fund, compared to just 28% who said it should be cut, according to a More In Common poll for the ONE Campaign in October 2025.
• It has been reported that £74 million has been saved by the Home Office in asylum accommodation costs, which count as Official Development Assistance and therefore are covered at the expense of the overseas development budget.

About the Global Fund: 

The Global Fund is the world’s largest multilateral funder of global health grants in low- and

middle-income countries, disbursing over £48 billion since 2002, in order to prevent and treat three diseases – HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is a partnership between civil society, governments, private sector partners, philanthropists, technical partners and communities, and is funded by governments, private sector partners and philanthropic foundations.

To date, the Global Fund has cut the combined death rate from AIDS, TB and malaria by 61%, saving 65 million lives, and preventing millions more from the suffering and disability caused by preventable disease. It is arguably the most effective global health initiative of all time.

About The ONE Campaign:

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organisation advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Our trusted advocacy uses hard-hitting data, grassroots activism, political engagement, and strategic partnerships to influence decision-makers. Learn more at ONE.org

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