Friends Applauds U.S. Government's Decision to Host Global Fund Fourth Replenishment Conference

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced the U.S. government will host a pledging conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Washington, D.C., in early December 2013. The event will be held shortly after World AIDS Day and the one-year anniversary of the Obama Administration's launch of a blueprint calling for an AIDS-free generation.

"I'm delighted that the Administration has decided to host this event. It is entirely consistent with the leadership role that the United States has played in fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria at home and abroad," said Deb Derrick, President of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "This sends a powerful signal about the opportunities in front of us and the shared need for continued global health investments."

Recent scientific developments – including new and better drugs and diagnostic tools for tuberculosis, improved knowledge and practices for targeting and preventing the transmission of HIV, and a promising new malaria vaccine – present an opportunity to contain and ultimately defeat each of these diseases.

The Global Fund is the world's largest public health financier. It approved $3.3 billion in new funding for partners throughout the world last year in support of large-scale treatment, prevention and care programs, saving 100,000 lives each month. It delivers the majority of international funding for tuberculosis and provides more than 50 percent of international funding for malaria and more than 20 percent for global AIDS relief.

The Global Fund holds replenishment conferences every three years. The last conference was held in New York, N.Y., in 2010 and raised $9.2 billion. Global Fund officials aim to raise $15 billion at the upcoming pledging conference and over the next three years to finance more of these lifesaving programs. The money raised during the Global Fund's Fourth Replenishment effort will help to determine how much money will be invested globally to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria for the next three years.

The U.S. has long been a global health leader, both through steadfast support for the Global Fund and for bilateral programs including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).

"Today's announcement is another indication of this Administration's commitment to a healthier planet," said Derrick. "It is a step toward a world in which HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are no longer the serious public health threats they are today."

FRIENDS OF THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
Friends of the Global Fight works to end the worldwide burden of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We educate, engage and mobilize U.S. decision makers to support the Global Fund, the world's largest public health financier. For more information about Friends of the Global Fight, visit www.TheGlobalFight.org.

SOURCE Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria