Uganda has pledged US$3m (Approximately UGX11.4bn) as her contribution towards the Global Fund in the organization’s campaign against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo announced the pledge while attending the Fund’s 7th replenishment pledging conference held on September 21, in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the pledge represents a 50% increase in Uganda’s contribution from the previous round.
“I have, on behalf of Uganda, pledged $3M towards the @GlobalFund seventh replenishment. Over the years, the fund has helped us realise significant strides in the fight against HIV_AIDS, Malaria, TB and most recently, Covid-19. Uganda is happy to make its contribution,” said Alupo, who represented President Yoweri Museveni to the UN General Assembly.
The United States of America-hosted pledging conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria raised more than US$14.25 billion so far for the partnership’s work over the next three years.
The Health Minister Dr. Aceng praised the fund in helping Uganda to reduce deaths and Illnesses arising from the three diseases.
“This has yielded good results, for example: of the 1.4 million Ugandans with HIV/AIDS, over 95% are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 90% of them are virally suppressed. In addition, mother-to-child HIV transmission rates have reduced from 18% in 2003 to less than 2% in 2021” said Aceng.
She added: “More than 25 million Ugandans receive free anti-malarial diagnosis and treatment services annually, and The Global Fund also supported provision of 28.5 million mosquito nets to 95% of households across the country in 2020.”
Since it was established in 2002, the global fund has provided approximately USD2.3 billion in Grants to Uganda to help tackle the three diseases and strengthen health systems.
Alupo reiterated Uganda’s willingness to remain an active member of the fund.
“We pledge to continue to align ourselves with vision of @GlobalFund to end the 3 pandemics,”
In total, the new funding commitments are aimed at supporting vulnerable countries to save an estimated 20 million lives, avert 450 million new infections, and bring new hope for ending AIDS, TB and malaria o er the next 3 years.
“This investment will also strengthen health and community systems to leave no one behind and be resilient to future shocks,” the fund said in a statement
