By Asmau Ahmad
The Global Fund has raised over $12.9 billion from international donors as part of a campaign aimed at effectively eradicating AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by 2030.
This was disclosed Monday in Montreal after a conference organised on Sunday seeking faith-based and private-sector partners to raise 13 billion dollars to support its activities over the next three years, starting in 2017.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said after the meeting which drew several heads of state, that “we can declare success for we have saved the lives of 8 million people.”
Mr. Trudeau said that the attention generated by the conference ensured that the donations were going to continue to flow in during the coming weeks and months.
Global Fund Executive Director, Mark Dybul, said that the fund, which is the world’s largest, aimed at fighting the three diseases, was credited with saving 20 million lives since it was established in 2002.
He said that the Fund had the knowledge and tools to end HIV, TB and malaria as epidemics by 2030.
Mr. Dybul added that to get it done effectively, the team needed to invest smartly, noting that U.S., the Fund’s largest donor pledged up to 4.3 billion dollars through 2019 in August.
He noted that the amount was, however, subject to congress approval.
The meeting was attended by singer Bono and Microsoft Corp co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates.
