The Global Fund is a worldwide campaign to defeat HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. I am proud that, as a co-founder of the fund, the UK has had a huge role to play in working towards this goal. To date, 50 million lives have been saved. Since its inception, the Global Fund has reduced the combined death rate from these three diseases by half in the countries it invests in.
This week, as Liz Truss attended her first United Nations general assembly as prime minister, she was set to outline her government’s plans and promote Britain on the world stage. The Global Fund’s pledging conference, which took place on Wednesday, was an opportunity for the UK to show their continuing support and commitment to this vital organisation. Unfortunately, no pledge was made.
I welcome the UK’s continuing political commitment to the Global Fund, but I am deeply concerned by the absence of funding. While the government refuses to commit the funding needed, time is ticking on the fight against these diseases and millions of lives hang in the balance.
In 2019, the UK gave £1.4bn in the last replenishment of the fund, making Britain the second-largest donor after the US. Over the Global Fund’s lifetime, the UK has been the third-biggest donor, paving the way for others to follow.
This year, the Global Fund is aiming to raise a total of $18bn, and is asking the UK to pledge £1.82bn, a 30% increase from 2019. Investment in the Global Fund has been a top priority for the UK and we have been at the forefront of the race to end these epidemics – now is not the time to dial back our support.
As the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, the UK’s aid watchdog, stated in its recent report: the Global Fund is the project covered by the government’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) that has the greatest value for money. With this in mind, it is hard to believe that the government is choosing to ignore the facts and not fully commit to this cause.
UK taxpayers’ money has been at the heart of investment to the Global Fund, and has been contributing to wiping out these diseases for two decades. It would not provide value for money, nor a return on our investment, to not pledge the full amount, and urgently.
Failing to fight against the spread of these epidemics abroad puts us all at risk at home. The domestic fight against these diseases relies on the global effort to eradicate them altogether. The fight does not end on our doorstep.
This is particularly clear since the Covid-19 pandemic. This showed how interconnected our world is and how easily viruses and diseases in one country can affect our own public health. Another example of this is the fight against polio. In 2021, the UK cut funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. We have now seen thepolio virus return to this country and it is alarming that cases are rising since its eradication across most of the world. The fight against HIV, TB and malaria is far from over, making it all the more concerning that the UK is shying away from their global commitments, putting us all at risk.
It is outrageous that the UK remains one of the last countries to make a pledge but there is still time to reaffirm our position as a leader in international development. The UK must make an ambitious commitment and match the 30% increase we have seen from our G7 allies.
The time has passed for empty words; real action needs to be taken to support the most vulnerable in the world. They need our commitment, and they need it now.
Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham and chair of the International Development select committee
