“We have reached our goal together, we have raised nearly $13 billion and in doing so we have saved eight million lives”, he said.
Advertisement
“We can declare success for we have saved the lives of 8 million people in the coming years”, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters after attending the conference, which drew several heads of state, singer Bono and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.
“We can deliver a knockout punch to three of the deadliest killers of our time, and today’s accomplishment makes that possible”.
Hailing the Fund’s past 15 years of achievement and looking forward to even more success in the critical years to come, the United Nations chief said that since it was established, the mechanism has helped to save some 20 million people.
Bono was joined onstage by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on the second and final day of an worldwide donor conference that hoped to raise US$13 billion to replenish the Global Fund for the fight against the three major infectious diseases.
The second-largest donor, Britain, pledged $1.4 billion, followed by France ($1.2 billion), Germany ($900 million), Japan ($800 million) and Canada ($600 million).
“We have the knowledge and tools to end HIV, TB and malaria by 2030”, Ban said. “I count on your strong commitment and leadership”. Its foundation plays a leading role to involve the private sector in this fund in addition to having already injected $ 1.6 billion since its inception. Canada considers the Global Fund as the place to discuss the high cost of these drugs, crucial to saving lives.
“That is why we are using this investment in the Global Fund to secure a demanding performance agreement to make sure United Kingdom aid achieves the maximum possible impact”.
Advertisement
“The world hears you when you say ‘poverty is sexist, ‘” he said. “A key critical reason for this is that we have science on our side”.
