Civil Society Letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Find the full letter in PDF here.
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister,
RE: UK pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
We would like to acknowledge the historic leadership of successive UK Governments in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We welcome the UK pledge of £1 billion amongst difficult domestic financial pressures. However, we also regret such a clear departure from previous commitments and other governments.
At the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund) seventh replenishment conference in September, nations around the world stepped up to regain the ground lost because of COVID-19, and meet the 2030 targets of ending these diseases as epidemics. The U.S., Canada, South Africa, Germany, Japan and Ireland all answered The Global Fund’s call and increased their pledges by 30%. The UK took the opposite approach and has made a cut from its previous pledge of almost 30%, forfeiting its long-held leadership role in international development.
We must express alarm over the UK reducing its pledge to the Global Fund from its 2019 contribution as it has serious consequences for millions around the world. Compared to pledging the requested increase, this risks a potential 1.54 million lives and a possible 34.5 million new transmissions across the three diseases. In real terms, it means over 2 million people not accessing antiretroviral therapy for HIV, 104 million fewer bed nets distributed to protect children and families from malaria, and 1.3 million fewer people accessing treatment and care for tuberculosis.
We know that HIV, tuberculosis and malaria disproportionately harm women and girls; for example in 2021 an adolescent girl or young woman newly contracted HIV every 2 minutes. A reduced pledge is out of step with the UK’s commitment to delivering equality and opportunity for women and girls.
With the UK’s pledge the total amount raised in the 7th replenishment has increased to US$15.669 billion as of today. This is an impressive achievement but Global Fund partners must find ways to meet the minimum target of US$18 billion from the Global Fund’s Investment Case by implementing the Global Fund’s new strategy fully. We urge you to change course and stand with the global community with a bolder pledge to ensure we can save lives, strengthen health systems, and unlock the full potential of millions of people worldwide. With your help, we can achieve a healthier, safer and more prosperous world for everyone.
Yours sincerely,
Signed by the 81 civil society and community organisations listed below:
- Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
- Advocacy Network Africa (AdNetA), Kenya
- Africa Japan Forum, Japan
- AIDS-Fondet (The Danish AIDS Foundation), Danemark
- All Ceylon Young Men’s Muslim Association, Sri Lanka
- Amref Health Africa UK, United Kingdom
- Ashar Alo Society, Bangladesh
- Association Camerounaise pour l’épanouissement et l’autonomisation des personnes vulnérables (ASCEAUPEV+), Cameroun
- ATHENA Network, Nigeria
- AVAC, United States
- Botswana Network of AIDS Service Organizations, Botswana
- Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC), Jamaica
- CHISA, Malawi
- Christian Action for Development & Support (CADS), South Sudan
- Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation, Nigeria
- Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, Malawi
- Community Delegation to the Stop TB Parneship Board, Kenya
- CRS, Nigeria
- Disability Peoples Forum Uganda, Uganda
- Diversity and Solidarity Trust Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
- Dopasi Foundation and Stop TB Partnership, Pakistan, Pakistan
- Eastern Africa National Network of AIDS and Health Services Organization (EANNASO), Tanzania
- ECOM, Estonia
- Eswatini Coalition on TB, Eswatini
- European African Treatment Advocates Network (EATANCIC), United Kingdom
- FALCOH Foundation, Cameroon
- Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, United States
- Frontline AIDS, United Kingdom
- Fundacion Salud por Derecho, España
- GFAN AP, Singapore
- Global Coalition of TB Advocates, India
- Global Fund Advocates Network, Global
- Global Network of Sex Work Projects, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Good Health Community Programmes, Kenya
- Harm Reduction International, United Kingdom
- Health GAP, Global
- HFHGB, United Kingdom
- HIV I-Base, United Kingdom
- HIV Legal Network, Canada
- Hope for Future Generations, Ghana
- Human & Natural Resource Development Foundation, Srilanka
- Impact Santé Afrique & CS4ME, Cameroon
- India Working Group for Health Advocacy, India
- Lankaplus Organization, Sri Lanka
- LHL International Tuberculosis Foundation, Norway
- Life Vs Addiction, Nepal
- Lunia Centre for Youths, Zimbabwe
- MANET+, Malawi
- National AIDS Trust, United Kingdom
- Network of TB Champions Kenya, Kenya
- Organization of Environment and Children Rights Preservation, Sri Lanka
- Positive East, United Kingdom
- Positive Hopes Alliance, Sri Lanka
- Positively UK, United Kingdom
- Princess of Africa Foundation, South Africa
- Pulse Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
- Red Ribbon Living Well CIC, United Kingdom
- Réseau Accès aux Médicaments Essentiels (RAME), Burkina Faso
- Results Canada, Canada
- Sahir House, Great Britain
- Salamander Trust, United Kingdom
- Senderos Asociación Mutual, Colombia
- Southern African Miners Association (SAMA), South Africa
- Sri Sathyaguna Foundation, Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka International Development Organization, Sri Lanka
- STOPAIDS, United Kingdom
- Students for Global Health, United Kingdom
- SWLSTG Mental Health NHS Trust, United Kingdom
- Tanzania AIDS Forum and AIDS, Tanzania
- Tanzania Health Promotion Support, Tanzania
- Terrence Higgins Trust, United Kingdom
- The Food Chain, United Kingdom
- The Reformed Drug and Substance Abuse Initiative ( REDSAI), Nigeria
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda
- UK Community Advisory Board (UK-CAB), United Kingdom
- Venasa Transgender Network, Sri Lanka
- Vision makers, Kenya
- Women Together Edu- Cultural Center, Kenya, Kenya
- Women4GlobalFund (W4GF), South Africa & Zimbabwe
- Youth Engage, Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe Community Competence Trust, Zimbabwe