Brussels, 13 January 2025
This week, commuters across the Brussels metro are invited to reflect on the real-world impact of global health investment. A commitment from the European Commission of €800 million to the Global Fund could help save up to 1.2 million lives – roughly equivalent to the entire population of Brussels – making clear how vast and human the impact of this investment would be in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The campaign is led by Friends of the Global Fund Europe, ONE Campaign, Alliance for Public Health, Global Health Advocates, and Aidsfonds, as part of a broader joint appeal endorsed by 330 organisations across Europe and beyond. Together, they are calling on the European Commission to demonstrate leadership in global health by committing €800 million to the Global Fund ahead of its next Board meeting in February.
A €800 million EU contribution could help save up to 1.2 million lives, unlock billions in economic returns and strengthen health systems worldwide.This investment would support countries to better prevent and respond to outbreaks, accelerate innovation, uphold human rights and gender equality, and build resilient health systems capable of adapting to climate change. It would also help communities transition towards long-term self-reliance – delivering impact far beyond health alone.
Despite its longstanding role as a champion of global health, the European Commission did not pledge at the Global Fund replenishment summit that took place last November, on the side of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Without sufficient investment, prevention slows, treatment is delayed, and lives are lost. In February, the Global Fund will hold its Board meeting, where country allocations will be decided – announcing a pledge before the Board meeting is critical to enabling the Global Fund to allocate resources on time and to prevent interruptions to country programmes
As COVID-19 showed, diseases know no borders. Supporting the most affected countries helps protect everyone, inside and outside of Europe.
Created in 2002 with the support of the European Commission, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a unique partnership that mobilizes and invests resources worldwide to end three of the deadliest infectious diseases and strengthen health systems. To date, the Global Fund has saved 70 million lives, transforming communities once devastated by these diseases. Its impact goes beyond health – keeping children in school, strengthening economies, and enabling communities to plan for a healthier, more secure future.
Europe can make this impact. Now is the moment to act, for a safer world for us all.
The Global Fund is a unique partnership model, bringing together governments, communities, the private sector, civil society and many more stakeholders to deliver transformative impact that reaches far beyond the fight against the three diseases. Committing to the Global Fund represents both a strategic choice and an act of global solidarity at a moment when the world needs it most.
Hélène Berger – Executive Director, Friends of the Global Fund Europe
In Ivano-Frankivsk, two men find hope, resilience, and community at Zahid Shans shelter amid Ukraine’s ongoing war.
Read more
Discover Martha’s journey as a mother living with HIV in war‑torn Ukraine, a story of resilience, stigma, and community support.
Read more
