Japan Pledges Additional $130M to Global Fund
Japan plans to provide an additional $130 million to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UPI/Washington Times reports. The $130 million is part of a contribution pledged in 2005 by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (UPI/Washington Times, 3/15). In June 2005, Japan pledged to contribute an additional $500 million to the Global Fund, likely to be disbursed over several years. Japan already has pledged $341 million and contributed $327.7 million to the Global Fund in 2005. Japanese officials in June 2005 announced that the country would provide $5 billion over five years to help African nations fight infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. The initiative aims to help developing countries achieve U.N. Millennium Development Goal targets and succeeds Japan's Okinawa Infectious Diseases Initiative, which was established in 2000 to fight the spread of diseases worldwide (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/30/05). Japan said the new funding pledge recognizes the Global Fund's critical role in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and highlights Japan's commitment to the fund's efforts (UPI/Washington Times, 3/15).
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