Global Fund Board Votes To Proceed With Sixth Round of Grants

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria's Board on Friday in Geneva voted in favor of proceeding with a sixth round of grants, Reuters reports (MacInnis, Reuters, 4/28). The Global Fund as of last month had distributed about half of the $4.9 billion it has pledged to give to recipient countries. Donors have pledged nearly $9 billion to the fund, and an additional $1 billion is needed to fulfill commitments for this year (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/31). Some advocates on Thursday said treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS could be in jeopardy if the Global Fund did not announce a sixth round of grants (MacInnis, Reuters, 4/27). Jon Liden, a Global Fund spokesperson, said, "There was a strong agreement that given the commitments made to reach global health targets, and given the urgent needs out there, it would be ethically impossible to not launch round six" (Reuters, 4/28). Carol Jacobs, chair of the Global Fund Board, said, "We know that countries and vulnerable populations are depending on [programs supported by the Global Fund], and we must not fail them," adding, "With the vote taken today to launch the Global Fund's sixth round, the Board is proud to reinforce its commitment to this purpose" (Global Fund release, 4/28). Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund said, "Already, millions of people have benefited from the programs the Global Fund is financing around the world and hundreds of thousands of people are alive today who otherwise might not have been." He added that the sixth round of grants should help to "maintain this vital momentum to win the battle against these three pandemics." The money needed to fund the latest round of grants -- which could total up to $1 billion in the first two years -- has not yet been pledged by donors, Reuters reports (Reuters, 4/28). The total dollar amount of sixth round grants will depend on project proposals that are submitted to the Global Fund by August 3. Grant approvals will be decided on at a November Global Fund meeting (Global Fund release, 4/28).