Over the past 10 years the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has been successful in saving the lives of over six million people. One of the key reasons the Fund has been so successful is that, unlike any other large international donor agency, it has always responded to the real needs of the countries it gives money to, encouraging them to tackle the three diseases as fully as possible. Further, the Fund uses a unique model for distributing its finance called a Country Coordinating Mechanism, which brings together involved stakeholders from across government and civil society, ensuring that the voices of affected communities are heard equally alongside government, NGOs and religious leaders.

At its launch, the Fund promised that 'no costed, credible plan would go unfunded.' In reality that meant that year on year, demand for resources from recipient countries has continually risen. This increase in demand, alongside a global financial crisis and allegations of mismanagement at the Fund has led to a funding shortfall and an internal review of governance structures. We are deeply concerned that as a result of these reviews the Global Fund will bring in a new funding mechanism that will both limit the amount of funding countries can apply for, thus limiting ambition for really ending the three diseases and removing the CCM, taking the voice away from those key populations.

This month we will be taking action to ensure that the Fund is properly protected.