Replenishing Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Critical

 

for Global Health, Millennium Development Goals, Says Secretary-General

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at an event for Champions for Global Health, in New York, today, 21 September:

I am very pleased to be here together with you.  It’s an honour to be among champions.  All of us can be proud about achievements in global health over the past decade.

Since 2001, new HIV infections have decreased by 17 per cent.  Our work on tuberculosis has saved an estimated 6 million lives.  We have secured financing for almost all the bed nets needed to fight malaria.

These successes owe much to dramatic increases in investments in health.  Indeed, it is unusual in development work to see such a direct correlation between investment and results.

We are here, however, not to celebrate success.  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria brought us together because we must do more.

Global health needs champions, to mobilize the resources needed to continue our work.  It is estimated that $26 billion to $42 billion will be required annually between 2011and 2015 to meet global targets on women's and children's health.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates that $28 billion to $50 billion will be needed every year during that same period to reach universal access targets.

These figures can be intimidating.  But other figures are even more compelling.  For every two people who start anti-HIV treatment, there are five new infections.  Every day, 4,500 people die from tuberculosis.  And every 45 seconds, a child dies of malaria.

So, while we are making progress, the picture is uneven, and much remains to be done. 

I know you are putting all your energies into meeting these challenges.  World leaders at the Summit are striving to fulfil their commitments to the Millennium Development Goals.  Let us make sure that investments in global health are sustained, despite economic constraints.

Supporting the Global Fund is one of the best ways that this investment can be made.  The Global Fund is flexible.  It doesn’t make “one size fits all” recommendations.  The Fund is accountable, with high standards for grants.  The Fund doesn’t just fight disease.  It strengthens health systems.  And the Fund is successful.  In just seven years, it has saved close to 5 million lives.  Very few initiatives can make such a claim.

So I am pleased to serve this year as chair of the Global Fund replenishment conference, which will take place in just two weeks’ time.  The success of this conference will be critical for global health, and for the Millennium Development Goals.

All of you here today are in the forefront of the battle.  Your countries are among the most generous and committed.  I thank you for your concrete expression of global solidarity.

There are few better causes to champion than this one.  Thank you all for your work.  Thank you very much.

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For information media • not an official record