More support to fight HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

The Netherlands is making extra funding available to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries. This was announced by Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher in New York on Wednesday at the 7th Replenishment conference of the Global Fund, an organisation that pools resources from around the world to fight these three diseases.

The Netherlands has pledged €180 million to the fund over the next three years. That is €24 million (15%) more than now. That means that the Netherlands will contribute €60 million to the Global Fund annually, making the fund the largest recipient of Dutch development funding in the area of global health.

The government is also increasing its annual contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). These UN organisations work closely with the Global Fund and support developing countries in implementing projects financed by the fund. The Netherlands is an important donor of the Global Fund, from the very start and the seventh largest donor in the area of global health.

In recent years the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VDD), Democrats ’66 (D66), the Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA) and the Christian Union (CU) announced in the coalition agreement that there would be extra focus on fighting HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The minister is making good on that commitment by way of this funding.

The increased contribution to the Global Fund is part of the extra funding that the government is putting towards global health. An important part of the Global Fund’s work is focused on strengthening the health systems in the countries that receive financial support.