Washington, DC – ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History trumpeted the announcement today by the Global Fund that major progress has been made in the fight against treatable, preventable diseases, saving an estimated1.8 million lives so far. An additional 3,000 lives are saved each day by programs the Global Fund supports like those that distributed around 30 million insecticide treated nets to families with children who are at risk of contracting the disease. That is an increase of 165% over 11.3 million in mid-2006.

In FY 2006, members of the ONE Campaign urged Congress to increase support for the Global Fund and Congress responded by voting in favor of an amendment that secured $544.5 million for the Global Fund. For FY 2007, ONE’s members outdid themselves, sending over 200,000 letters to Congress, urging them to continue efforts to support the Global Fund. In response Congress included $724 million for the Global Fund in the Continuing Resolution that passed Congress in February 2007, an increase of $179.5 million over last year.

“The Global Fund is a success story and is getting results,” ONE Campaign spokesperson Kimberly Cadena said. “It’s crucial that America’s leaders continue to support and fund the programs that work. When the G8 meets in June, the United States and other leading nations must rise to the challenge of replenishing the Global Fund.”

The Global Fund also announced today that 2.8 million DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) treatments were administered in the fight Tuberculosis, an increase of 100% over 1.4 million in mid-2006.

Cadena continued, “Americans should be proud that our contributions to the Global Fund have helped save and change lives. That type of generosity is what Americans are known for, and it is the best reflection of our nation’s values and of global humanitarian principles. ONE’s supporters are working to raise awareness among voters in their local communities on the need for our nation’s next president to prioritize efforts like the Global Fund. Saving lives is part of securing a strong future for our nation.”

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases.