Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) along with 759 signatories from communities living with and affected by HIV, TB and malaria and civil society organisations in Asia-Pacific and globally extend sincere gratitude to the United States (U.S.), the Biden-Harris Administration, and the U.S. Congress led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for the $3.5 billion emergency funding commitment they secured for
the efforts of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries.
The contribution of the U.S. to the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) of the Global Fund will support an expansion of COVID-19 testing capacities in low- and middle-income countries, and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers.
The U.S. contribution will provide further support to ensure that those infected have access to care and treatment (including adequate oxygen supplies). As of 12th March 2021, the Global Fund has approved $759 million for C19RM and $229 million for Grant Flexibilities to support countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the gains against HIV, TB and malaria, at which point the Mechanism ran out of funding until the U.S. acted.
The U.S. has remained the largest donor to the Global Fund since it was founded in 2002, and most recently pledged $3.68 billion at the Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund in 2019.
The Global Fund works in close partnership with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s TB program.
“Communities and civil society including key populations and their organizations have showcased remarkable resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure that those living with and affected by the three diseases have continuous access to life-saving medicines, testing and other health commodities”, said Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, Chair of GFAN AP Steering Committee and Executive Director of Centre for Community Development Initiative (SCDI), Vietnam. “The Global Fund has played a crucial role in these community emergency responses not only through its grant flexibilities but more importantly through its long- standing work on building and empowering community systems with the support of its donor countries.”
The Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) was established in April 2014 at a first meeting co-organised by the Communities Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund (Communities Delegation) and the Global Fund Advocates network (GFAN) and hosted by the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV and 7 Sisters Network on 9th and 10th April 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting brought together 27 representatives of regional networks of Key Affected Populations, Communities and Civil Society Delegations on the Board of the Global Fund, civil society organisations, and representatives from the Global Fund Secretariat. The meeting founded GFAN AP recognisng the need for a more consolidated and concerted effort on advocacy and lobbying by community and civil society networks/organisations in the Asia-Pacific for the Global Fund.
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