Africa: Global Fund’s Replenishment Highlights Need for Diverse Sources of Funding

The Global Fund Eighth Replenishment Summit aimed to raise $18 billion for the next three years to save up to 23 million lives during that period. By the end of proceedings on Friday, however, pledges totalled just $11.34 billion — falling far short of the target.

The United States pledged $4.6 billion, down from the $6 billion it pledged in the previous round. Germany and the United Kingdom have both decreased their commitments compared to the last cycle. The UK has pledged £1.1 billion — a 15 percent reduction, and the lowest pledge since 2010.

Other leading past donor countries have yet to pledge specific amounts but anything short of $14 billion represents not just a funding gap, but a deep underinvestment in the Global Fund’s essential backbone — the research, surveillance, and monitoring systems that ensure its life-saving programmes are effective and sustainable.

Since its inception in 2002, The Global Fund has invested more than US$69 billion to support health programmes in countries with the highest burden of HIV, TB and malaria and the least economic capacity to tackle them. A defining feature of its model is the predictability it brings: the three-year grant cycle allows countries to plan ahead, strengthen health systems and sustain access to essential services.

Because recipient governments shape how grants are used, funding is closely aligned with national priorities — an approach that, combined with the Fund’s scale has broadened the reach of lifesaving services and helped reduce gaps in access for vulnerable, marginalised and hard-to-reach communities.

A shortfall in funding comes at a critical juncture when the gains of the past two decades in global health hang in the balance, alongside cuts in other sources of aid.

This funding gap reinforces the need for diverse funding sources, reflecting a recognition that ending these diseases requires partnership across all sectors.

Encouragingly, a joint private sector commitment by GSK and ViiV Healthcare, who pledged £6 million to strengthen community-led responses to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria was matched by the Gates Foundation, with a total investment of £12 million. Such partnerships exemplify how the private sector can go beyond research and development to support community-owned health solutions. Importantly, investment like this can prove catalytic in leveraging funding from other sources, helping to shore up the gap left by other shortfalls. In total, the private sector and philanthropic partners raised $1.34 billion for the fund.

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