MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
Australia has made a major new commitment to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the Asia-Pacific region, and to assist sufferers of the diseases.
Australia's new pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a specific allocation under the government's existing $1 billion commitment to the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and will be funded from the future increases in overseas aid announced in the 2007-08 budget.
We have today pledged $93 million over two years from 2008-09 to the Global Fund, building on the $42 million already committed this year.
This new commitment follows Australia's previous four-year pledge of $75 million which was completed this year. It more than doubles our average yearly contribution.
Australia's support to the Global Fund has helped save the lives of more than 1.8 million people. Since it was established five years ago, the Global Fund has provided more than one million people with anti-retroviral treatment for HIV, 2.8 million people with tuberculosis treatment and distributed 30 million bed nets for the prevention of malaria.
The three diseases have hit the Asia-Pacific region hard - more than 8.6 million people are living with HIV, there are five million new cases of tuberculosis each year and malaria is endemic in 20 countries.
In Asia and the Pacific, resources from the Global Fund purchase much-needed commodities such as pharmaceuticals, mosquito bed nets and other medical supplies. Global Fund resources are used to improve diagnosis and treatment facilities in the region and provide training for health professionals. To date, the Global Fund has allocated nearly $1.8 billion in grants to our region.
For example, in Papua New Guinea, a Global Fund grant is scaling up testing, treatment and care for people living with HIV and for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Global Fund grants have provided treatment for malaria for over 33,000 people and distributed over 178,000 bed nets, with the aim of reducing deaths from malaria by 80 per cent in the Solomon Islands and by 100 per cent in Vanuatu.
With the support of Australia and its other donors, the Global Fund contributes a large portion of the funds dedicated internationally to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Meeting the MDGs by 2015 would result in 5.5 million lives saved annually.
Media inquiries:
Malcolm Cole (Mr Downer's office) 02 6277 7500
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590