Bono and ONE applaud new global health commitments to fight AIDS, TB and malaria crisis  

WASHINGTON — Today, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria achieved its goal of securing $14 billion in commitments from donors around the world to fight preventable disease. The ONE Campaign enthusiastically applauded the bipartisan lawmakers in Congress who have signaled a commitment of $4.68 billion over three years, maintaining the United States’ historic one-third commitment to the Global Fund. Together, with funding from other international donors and the private sector, the Global Fund will help save up to 16 million lives by 2023.

Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of ONE and (RED), said: “History seems to judge leaders on the wars they fought… well today the people in this room, led by President Macron, decided to win the biggest war of all and defeat the biggest killers humanity has faced. I call that historic.”

Gayle Smith, President and CEO of ONE, said: “This is a huge victory for humanity, which means millions more people will get a real shot at life. Now we have to seize on this momentum and make sure we end these diseases for good. We still have a long way to go but, as we have shown today, when there is the political will then a world free from AIDS, TB and malaria is within our reach. We owe it to future generations to finish the job.”

Tom Hart, North America executive director of ONE, said: “This funding is a giant step towards ending the scourge of AIDS, TB, and malaria in our lifetime. Bipartisan leaders in Congress have shown a strong commitment that the U.S. will maintain its leadership in the fight against these diseases. This commitment will help bring about a day in which global health programs like the Global Fund are so effective, they are no longer needed.”

Background on the Global Fund Replenishment: 

On October 10th, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, one of the most effective global health partnerships on the planet, held its 2019 replenishment in Lyon, France. The organization announced $14 billion in commitments from donors around the world to fight AIDS, TB and malaria.

Earlier this year at the State of the Union, President Trump pledged to “defeat AIDS in America and beyond.” However, just weeks later, he proposed a budget that slashed America’s global AIDS programs, including the Global Fund. Traditionally, the United States has contributed $1 to the Global Fund for every $2 contributed by other donors, and that steadfast commitment has incentivized billions of dollars in investments from others that would not have otherwise been made. This year, President Trump proposed a massive cut to the Global Fund in his FY20 budget that would weaken the U.S. commitment to $1 for every $3 contributed by other donors.

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a spending bill that included $1.56 billion for the Global Fund. Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s markup of the FY20 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill included $1.56 billion and even went so far as to directly rebuke the White House’s proposed cut, saying: “The Committee does not support the administration’s proposal to amend the longstanding matching rates for U.S. contributions to the Global Fund.” The bill went on to include explicit language that states: “The Committee anticipates that the United States will pledge not less than this amount for each of the three fiscal years pertaining to the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment.”

For more information, or to speak with an expert about the Global Fund, contact Sean Simons at [email protected].