Open Letter to Minister Ville Skinnari

You can download the full letter here.

FINLAND GENDER EQUALITY CHAMPION

Dear Minister Ville Skinnari,

The global fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, is at a turning point. The world has set itself the ambitious target, enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals, of ending the three diseases as epidemic by 2030. We have made tremendous progress. In the twenty years since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has supported programs that have saved over 44 million lives and gotten us ever closer to our 2030 targets. This would not have been possible without the commitment of donors like Finland, who contributed over EUR25 million from 2006 to 2013.

Many lives have been saved, but the three diseases have not gone away. Worse, because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have lost ground in 2020, for the first time since the creation of the Global Fund. Testing, treatment, and prevention for HIV declined, and, most tragically, deaths from tuberculosis and malaria have increased. We have to stop the backslide. It is in these difficult circumstances that we call on Finland to reengage and make a pledge for the Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund.

To be able to address the setbacks and get back on track to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as epidemics by 2030, the Global Fund Investment Case for the seventh replenishment calls for a total of at least US$18 billion in 2023-2025, a 30% increase from the 2019 funding target. The United States, under the leadership of President Biden, have already announced their intention to commit an unprecedented US$6 billion for the Seventh Replenishment, putting us on track to a successful replenishment.

We urge Finland to rejoin the global effort to end the three diseases, and to add its weight to the momentum building around the Seventh Replenishment, to inspire other governments to take action. A pledge by Finland would contribute to:

• Save 20 million lives between 2024 and 2026 in the countries supported by the Global Fund.
• Reduce the death toll across the three diseases to 950,000 in 2026, down from 2.4 million in 2020.
• Avert more than 450 million new infections or cases in the countries supported by the Global Fund.
• Catalyze domestic investments of up to US$59 billion through co-financing requirements and technical assistance on health financing.
• Reduce inequities in health services by addressing gender-related and human rights barriers to access
• Strengthening systems for health and pandemic preparedness to prevent and respond to future pandemics.
• Yield a return on investment of 1:31 with every dollar invested in fighting the three diseases resulting in 31 dollars in health gains and economic returns.

The Global Fund prioritizes lower-income countries with a higher burden of disease, while paying special attention to key and vulnerable populations and the right to health for these groups, including LGBTI+ people, women, and adolescent girls.

The fight against the three disease is a fight for gender equality. The Global Fund spends close to 33% of its resources on programs supporting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SHRH), because HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria disproportionately affect women and girls. Opportunistic infections resulting from HIV are the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age globally, and about one third of all pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from malaria. In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Fund supported 11.5 million pregnant women to receive preventive therapy for malaria, and thanks to its investment more than 85% of pregnant women living with HIV now have access to medicine preventing transmission to their babies. Looking ahead, a successful Seventh Replenishment would enable the Global Fund to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women in most affected countries by 72%.

The Global Fund also delivers impact in challenging operating environments. Countries facing conflict or other crises receive about one third of Global Fund investments, and the Global Fund reacts quickly to deploy additional resources in countries in crisis, like Ukraine following the invasion by Russia. Prior to the attack by Russian forces, the Global Fund had invested a total of $850 million in the country, where HIV and tuberculosis rates – particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis – are some of the highest in Europe. Global Fund investments have helped to reduce new HIV infections to around a third of the number in 2002, and almost halved the number of people living with tuberculosis. Additional funding was mobilized in less than a week by the Global Fund to ensure that, through the course of the war, people living with HIV and tuberculosis are still able to receive the essential services and treatment to reduce the spread of infectious diseases across the region.

We, the Global Fund Advocates Network, and the civil society and community organizations listed below, hope that you hear our call, and provide a strong pledge and commitment to the Global Fund – to put an end to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
We urge Finland to stand with us to leave no one behind and defend the health of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable.

The Global Fund Advocates Network, with support from the 250 civil society and communities organization listed below:

1. Aadhar NAP+ BHAUUDESHIYA Santha  Amravati
2. Action for Health Initiatives, Inc. (ACHIEVE)
3. Adhar Bahuddeshiya Sanstha
4. Africa Japan Forum
5. African Network of Adolescents and Young Persons Development (ANAYD)
6. Agra Positive People Welfare society, AGRA
7. Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
8. AIDS-Fondet (the Danish AIDS Foundation)
9. Aidsfonds
10. Aidspan
11. AKTA
12. Allahabad network for people living with HIV /AIDS society
13. APCASO
14. Ashar Alo Society (AAS)
15. Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM)
16. Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+)
17. Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW)
18. Asia Pacific Transgender Network
19. Association d’Assistance au Développement (ASAD)
20. Association for Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh (BAPSA)
21. Association Of People Living With HIV (APLHIV)-Pakistan
22. Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO)
23. Ayarhep
24. Aye Myanmar Assoication (AMA)
25. Azamgarh positive network of people living with HIV/AIDS Society
26. BAMANEH
27. Banaras Network for Positive People Living with HIV/AIDS Society
28. Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu)
29. BAPSA
30. BGMEA  TB Control Project
31. Bhilwara Network for people living with HIV/ AIDS sansthan
32. Bihar Network For People Living  With HIV/AIDS Society
33. Bikaner Network for Peoples Living With HIV Sansthan(BNP+)
34. BKMEA TB Control Project
35. Blossomtrust
36. Blue Diamond Society
37. Blue Star CBO
38. BRAC
39. Cam Pha Blue Sea
40. Cambodia People living with HIV Network (CPN+)
41. Cambodian Women for Peace and Development
42. Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC)
43. Caritas PSE
44. Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI)
45. Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum – CEHRDF
46. Churu Network for People Living With HIV/AIDS Sansthan
47. Club des Amis Damien “CAD”
48. Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (COWLHA) Malawi
49. Coimbatore Network for Positive People (CNP+)
50. Communities Delegation Stop TB Partnership
51. Community and Family AID Foundation – Ghana
52. Community Health and Inclusion Association (CHIAs)
53. Community Social Development Foundation
54. Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) – Zimbabwe
55. Concerned Women for Family Development  (CWFD).
56. Council of People Living with HIV AIDS of Kerala (CPK+)
57. CPE
58. Cuddalore District HIV Positive Society (CDS +)
59. Cultura LLC
60. Damien Foundation
61. Deoria network for people living with AIDS Society
62. Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM)
63. Dharmapuri District HIV Positive Welfare Society (DDPWS+)
64. Dindigul District HIV Positive Society (DDS+)
65. Disability Peoples Forum Uganda
66. Diversity And Solidarity Trust Sri Lanka
67. Drug Users Network (DUNE)
68. Eastern Africa National Network of AIDS and Health Service Organization (EANNASO)
69. ECOM – Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity
70. Equal Asia Foundation
71. Estrela+ Timor Leste
72. Fatayat NU Jawa
73. Female Plus
74. FKPB Batang
75. Friends Frangipani Inc-PNG
76. Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
77. Friends-International (FI)
78. Gaya Patriot Bekasi
79. Geeta Mahila uthan ssmiti
80. Global Coalition of TB Advocates
81. Global Health Italian Network
82. Good Health Community Programmes
83. Gujarat state network of people living with HIV AIDS GSNP
84. Gujarat State Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GSNP+)
85. Guruprasad
86. Hadoti Network for People Living With HIV/AIDS Samiti Kota
87. Hai Duong Belief CBO
88. Hathras positive peoples welfare society
89. Health Action Coordinating Committee
90. Health and Development Alliance (HEAD)
91. Health Care Community of Positive Peoples, Ambajogai
92. HEED Bangladesh
93. Hi Voices
94. Home Coming
95. Home4Youth Association
96. Hope for Future Generations
97. Human and Natural Resose Development Foundation
98. Humraz Male Health Society
99. IAKMI Sulawesi Tenggara
100. IDUCARE
101. Igat Hope Inc.
102. Image Social Welfare Organization
103. Impact santé Afrique
104. India Working Group on Health Advocacy
105. Indonesia AIDS Coalition
106. Innovations for Development
107. INSET
108. International Youth Council-Yemen (IYCY)
109. Jabalpur Network of people Living with HIV/ AIDS Society
110. Japan Advocacy Network for Drug Policy
111. Jaringan Indonesia Positif (JIP)
112. Jaunpur Network for HIV positive People Living with AIDS Society
113. Friends of the Global Fund, Japan (FGFJ)
114. Kalinga Network for People Living With HIV/AIDS (KNP+) Odisha
115. Kelompok Kerja Bina Sehat
116. Khawaja Sira Society
117. Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA)
118. Khulna Mukti Seba Sangstha (KMSS)
119. Kindness Coallition
120. Korean Advocates for Global Health
121. Korean Advocates for Global Health (KAGH)
122. KP Mahakam Plus Kaltim
123. KP Yayasan Pontianak Plus
124. Kushinagar welfare for people living with AIDS Society
125. Lanka Plus
126. Lensa Sukabumi
127. Lhak-Sam, Bhutan Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (BNP+)
128. LHL International
129. Life Care Society for Underprivileged (HP)
130. Life vs Addiction Treatement & Rehabilitation Centre
131. Lighthouse Social Enterprise
132. LKKNU Kalsel
133. LKPBNU
134. Love Life Society
135. Malaria No More Japan
136. MAMATA
137. Maryknoll Sisters
138. Mau Positive Network of People living with HIV/AIDS Society
139. MDG Achieving Organization
140. Medan Plus
141. Men’s Health Social Service (MHSS)
142. Mithuru Mithuro Movement 
143. Moradabad Network Positive Welfare Society
144. Nalgonda Youth positive society people living HIV/AIDS (NYPS+)
145. NAPUD [Network of Asian People who Use Drugs]
146. Nari Matree ( NM )
147. National Anti Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB)
148. National association of PLWHA In Nepal (NAP+N)
149. National TB Network Nepal (NTBNN)
150. National Transgender Network Sri Lanka
151. Network for chennai People Living with HIV/AIDS (NCP+)
152. Network for Positive People in Trichy (NPT+)
153. Network of Asian People who Use Drugs (NAPUD)
154. Network of Aurangabad By People Living with HIV
155. Network of Hingoli by people living with HIV Hingoli
156. Network of Kolhapur by People living with HIV/AIDS
157. Network of Maharashtra by People Living with HIV/AIDS (NMP+)
158. Network of Parbhani Distrct By People Living With HIV/AIDS
159. Network of PLHIV(NOP+),
160. Network of Solapur by People living with HIV AIDS
161. Network of TB Champions Kenya
162. Nishkriti
163. NONGOR
164. Paribar Kallayan Samity (PKS)
165. Perambalur District Network For HIV Positive People (PDNP+)
166. PETIK
167. Pime Sisters Khulna
168. Pinoy Plus Advocacy Pilipinas, Inc.
169. Place Tokyo
170. PNG National Key Population Advocacy Consortium
171. Positive Action Foundation Philippines Inc. (PAFPI)
172. Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+)
173. POSITIVE WOMEN SOCIETY NETWORK
174. PPTI Balikpapan
175. Pratapgarh Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS
176. Prayas Network of Positive People Welfare society (PNPP)
177. PT Foundation
178. Pudukkottai District HIV Positive people Welfare Society (PDPS+)
179. Pusako
180. Puthuvai Cluny Social Service Trust
181. Queer Voices of Bhutan
182. Rajarata Gami Pahana
183. RDRS Bangladesh
184. Rekat Peduli Indonesia
185. Resource Integration Centre (RIC)
186. Results Australia
187. Results Canada
188. Results UK
189. RFSL, Sweden
190. Saburai Support Group
191. Sanjeevan Bahu-udeshiya Samaj Seva Sanstha, Nagpur
192. Sarthi Kalyankari Sanstha Bhandara (NBP+)
193. Saviya Development Foundation
194. Senior Independent Advisor
195. Siddharth Nagar welfare for people living with HIV/AIDS Society Basti
196. SPEK-HAM
197. Spirit Paramacitta
198. Srikandi Perintis Mandiri
199. Stop TB Canada
200. Stop TB Partnership Japan
201. Stop TB Partnership Promoting Parliamentary Federation
202. STOPAIDS
203. Strategic Alliance for Research and Development
204. Strategic Poverty Alleviation Systems-SPAS
205. Strumphet Alliance Network (SPAN)
206. Subrang Society
207. Survival Advocacy Network
208. Tamilnad Network of Positive People
209. Tamilnadu Positive Women Network (TPWN+)
210. TB Champions Association of Botswana
211. TB Community Representative
212. TB people Ukraine
213. Terengganu Family Planning Association
214. Thanjavur district network of positive people TDNP+
215. The Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh (TLMI-B)
216. The Sun Kien Giang
217. TICAD NGO Liaison Group
218. Tilottama Voluntary Women’s Organization
219. Tiruvannamalai District HIV Positive Society(TDHPS+)
220. Touched by TB
221. Treasureland Health Builders Initiative
222. Trisuli Plus
223. Tuticorin District HIV Positive People Welfare Society (TDPS+)
224. Ujjain HIV AIDS Network Pipul’Society
225. UN Foundation/United to Beat Malaria
226. UTPS
227. Uttar Pradesh Welfare for People Living with HIV/AIDS Society
228. Venasa Transgender Network
229. Victory Plus Yogyakarta
230. Vietnam Community Network to Fight Tuberculosis (VCTB)
231. Vietnam Network of People living with HIV (VNP+)
232. Vietnam Platform for Supporting Vulnerable Populations
233. Virudhunagar District HIV Ullor Nala Sangam
234. Vision makers
235. Wahana Cita Indonesia
236. Wasaib Sanwaro
237. Wonosobo Youth Center
238. World Mission Prayer League (LAMB hospital)
239. WOTE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CBO
240. Y-Chapter
241. Yash Foundation
242. Yen Bai Violet Afternoon CBO
243. YKMNU Jawa Tengah
244. Young Out Here Sri Lanka Trust
245. Youth for Health Center NGO
246. Youth Foundation of Bangladesh
247. Youth LEAD
248. Youth Survival Organisation
249. Youth Voices Count, Inc.
250. ZNNP+