France Withholds Funding Pledge to Global Fund, Sparking Outcry
Paris – France has not renewed its financial commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a move condemned by leading global health organizations as a betrayal of international health efforts. the decision, revealed Friday, leaves the fund significantly short of its $18 billion fundraising goal, jeopardizing efforts to combat three of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
The absence of a pledge from France, historically the fund’s second-largest contributor, is a “abandonment of the sick, of global health and of the fight against the deadliest epidemics in the world,” according to a joint statement released by AIDES, Action Santé Mondiale, Coalition PLUS, ONE, and Sidaction.The Global Fund estimates the $18 billion target would save 23 million lives and reduce mortality rates from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by two-thirds by 2029.
In 2022, the French government had pledged 1.596 billion euros to the fund. Neither the Elysée Palace nor the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs offered immediate comment on the decision as of Friday evening.The Global Fund relies on contributions from governments and private partners to finance programs in countries heavily burdened by these diseases.The shortfall raises concerns about the future of prevention, treatment, and research initiatives.
