Global Fund aims to defeat the deadliest infectious diseases

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2002, is raising, managing and investing the world’s funds to defeat three of the deadliest infectious diseases ever known.

The global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases has helped reduce the number of children dying under the age of five years from 12 million in 1990 to less than 6 million today. As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than $4 billion a year to support programmes run by local experts in more than 100 countries.

AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are all preventable and treatable. In addition to the work that’s currently undertaken to tackle the problem on the ground, defeating infectious diseases requires greater commitment from more countries and their decision-makers.

The idea for the Global Fund started from a wellspring of grass-roots political advocacy coming face-to-face with the imperatives of global leadership. The concept was first discussed at a G8 summit in Okinawa, Japan, in 2000. Real commitment began at the African Union summit in April 2001, continued at the UN General Assembly Special Session in June of that year, and the fund was finally endorsed by the G8 at their summit in Genoa, Italy, in July 2001.

A Transitional Working Group was established to determine the principles and working modalities of the new organization, and the Global Fund was officially launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2002.

In the years up to 2018, health programmes supported by the Global Fund partnership saved 32 million lives. Overall, the number of deaths caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria each year has been reduced by 40% since 2002 in countries where the Global Fund invests.

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is one of many projects advanced by the Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare – and one the Forum continues to support through advocacy and fundraising assistance. The Platform’s mission is to transform the healthcare industry while promoting healthy lives and ensuring access to affordable quality care for all.

Businesses are invited to join the work of the Platform, helping to fund and scale up the Global Fund and initiatives like it, creating impact and improving the state of the world.

Additionally, Forum Partners are welcome to support the Global Fund as it engages in efforts through its involvement in M2030 – a campaign to raise awareness and funds to eliminate malaria in Asia by 2030.