It is less than eight years since the launch of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, but the Fund says it is now responsible for 60% of international funding to fight malaria, 57% of funding for TB, and 23% of funding for AIDS.

According to a Fund press release the programmes it supports have so far supplied TB treatment to more than 5.4 million people, and delivered a cumulative total of 88 million insecticide-treated bed nets to families at risk of contracting malaria. (The latter figure represents a rise of 49% from 59 million nets distributed by mid-2008.)

Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund, says: “When we first began our work in 2002, few people in developing countries were being treated for AIDS or tuberculosis. Malaria was a neglected disease. Many countries simply did not have the resources to fight these diseases effectively. Now the story is changing dramatically. There is still much to be done, but we are making real progress and I am proud that the Global Fund is a leader in this global effort.”