My right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Baroness Chapman of Darlington, has today made the following statement:
I wish to update the House on the Government decision on investment in the eighth replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria—the Global Fund—which covers 2026 to 2028.
Diseases such as HIV, TB and malaria are not only preventable and treatable, but disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalised. Over the past two decades, the Global Fund partnership has helped to save over 70 million lives, ensure equitable access to health services, and build stronger, more resilient health systems in more than 100 countries. Despite this remarkable progress, 4,000 adolescent girls and young women per week still contract HIV. In sub-Saharan Africa, TB remains the world’s single deadliest infectious disease, and malaria still kills a child under five nearly every minute.
The UK Government are proud to have supported the formation of the Global Fund partnership in 2002. We are continuing that leadership now by co-hosting the eighth replenishment of the Global Fund, working alongside South Africa in a truly modern development partnership. Today I am proud to announce that we will invest £850 million in the Global Fund for 2026 to 2028 to deliver lifesaving prevention, testing and treatment services. This is expected to save up to 1.3 million lives, avert up to 22 million new cases or infections of HIV, TB and malaria, and generate up to £13 billion in health gains and economic returns in the countries where the Global Fund works. In dollar terms, this is only 5% less than the amount we invested in the seventh replenishment, demonstrating how strongly we have prioritised global health and the Global Fund.
This commitment is not only a moral imperative, it is a strategic investment in global and national health security and in wider economic growth and stability. As replenishment co-hosts, we call on all our partners in the G20 and beyond to join us in continuing this investment in our shared future. The Global Fund plays a critical role in preventing disease outbreaks, strengthening surveillance, and building health systems that are robust enough to respond to emerging threats, including antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics. Communicable diseases know no borders; this investment in fighting them around the world complements our work to fight them here in the UK. It will also boost overall prosperity by enabling healthier people to contribute to the economies of our partner countries, and it will support jobs and economic growth here at home, with the Global Fund working in partnership with UK institutions and researchers, supporting innovations including dual active ingredient bed nets for malaria and long-acting prevention for HIV. Its work on market shaping and capacity building for regional manufacturing will continue to be a vital tool in scaling up access to these innovative new technologies.
As I set out in my statement of 26 June regarding our pledge to Gavi 6.0, multilateral health organisations must go further to maximise impact. As we pursue a modern approach to development, I welcome the Global Fund’s commitment to reform, becoming even more efficient and effective, focused on those most in need and with a simpler approach to delivery that puts country ownership at its heart. Looking beyond the Global Fund, we will go even further in reforming the multilateral health system to enable low and middle-income countries to make the most of all health investments, to incentivise domestic resourcing and to strengthen health systems so that we deliver for the health challenges of tomorrow. Partners such as South Africa are telling us how important these reforms are and we look forward to working with them to deliver this change.
The decision on the UK’s pledge to the Global Fund has been taken in the context of the difficult decision this Government have made to reduce spending on development assistance from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% to fund increased spending on our defence and national security. As the Prime Minister noted, this Government are proud of the UK’s pioneering record on overseas development. Less money does not mean less action. Even in the context of a lower ODA budget we will continue to play a key role in global health. Alongside our continued strong commitment to multilateral organisations such as Gavi and the Global Fund, and to their ongoing reform in partnership with others, we will continue to make pioneering investments in research and development, in market shaping to drive down prices and increase access, and in strengthening the health systems needed to deliver universal health coverage.
The UK is committed to a safer, healthier and more prosperous world. Through our investment in the Global Fund, we are helping to build a future where no one dies from preventable diseases.
[HCWS1043]