The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis has announced three-year pledges of £1 billion ($1.18 billion) from the United Kingdom and €185 million ($191 million) from Italy to help end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and strengthen health and community systems around the world. 

The latest pledges come on top of the record-breaking $14.25 billion raised by the Global Fund in September during its Seventh Replenishment Conference to fund its next three-year grant cycle. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni announced her country’s commitment during the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

A founding member and longtime partner of the Global Fund, the UK is the third largest public donor to the Global Fund, with a total contribution of £4.43 billion ($5.24 billion) to date. Italy also has been a strong supporter and advocate of the Global Fund from the outset, playing a major role in its creation at the G8 Summit in Genoa in 2001.

“Over the past 20 years, British taxpayer support has helped save 50 million lives,” said Global Fund executive director Peter Sands. “The UK’s new £1 billion pledge is instrumental to helping us save millions more lives, get back on track following the reversals from COVID-19, and strengthen global health security.”

“The government of Italy is truly demonstrating its commitment to ending HIV, TB, and malaria by 2030, and to building stronger and more resilient systems for health that will enable countries to be better prepared for future pandemics,” Sands added.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/mixetto)