the UK must deliver £1 billion for the Global Fund

The healthcare worker provides medical assistance to the patient who showed up at the mobile clinic
in Svyatohirsk, the war-hit town in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Dec. 13, 2024.

the UK must deliver £1 billion for the Global Fund

In 2022, the UK Government pledged £1 billion to the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria for the period 2023–2025. This funding has been vital in the fight against the three diseases, supporting life-saving treatments, prevention programmes, and health systems in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. The Government is now deciding its pledge for the next Global Fund ‘replenishment cycle’, for the period 2026-28. By speaking up, we can persuade the Government to retain its current commitment and protect thousands more lives around the world.

the Global Fund needs at least £1 billion from the UK to continue its vital work

UK ministers are in the process of deciding how much to contribute to the Global Fund

write to the Foreign Secretary asking her to maintain the UK’s £1 billion pledge

what’s happening?

The Global Fund is an international partnership that fights HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. The UK has historically been one of its largest contributors, providing crucial funding that supports life-saving treatments, prevention programmes, and health systems. In the last replenishment cycle (2023–2025), the UK pledged £1 billion to the Global Fund.

The Government is now deciding how much it will contribute to the next replenishment cycle. This is a politically important moment, as global health funding faces increasing pressure and competing priorities, given the serious cuts to the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget in recent years, from which such replenishments are funded. Development budgets are being cut by donors worldwide, making it even more urgent for the UK to maintain its existing level of commitment.

Despite progress, AIDS, TB, and malaria remain major global killers. In 2023, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and malaria caused around 597,000 deaths, with 76% of these deaths occurring in children under five. Without sustained funding, these numbers could rise again, undoing years of hard-won progress and leaving millions at risk. Maintaining the UK’s £1 billion pledge will help ensure that life-saving treatments and prevention programmes continue reaching those who need them most.

how you can make a difference

You can help ensure the UK continues to lead on global health by taking action today. 

We are asking you to write directly to the Foreign Secretary, urging her to maintain the UK’s £1 billion pledge to the Global Fund. Every message shows decision-makers that people across the country care about preventing AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and that they expect the UK to honour its international commitments.

Your action will help safeguard life-saving treatments, prevention programmes, and support for vulnerable communities worldwide. These messages create public pressure that strengthens the case for sustained funding, helping the Global Fund continue its vital work and delivering real and measurable impact on global health, saving lives and securing futures.

How to contact the Foreign Secretary:

Write to: The Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH.

Email [email protected]

“What I went through must not happen to anyone else. That feeling became my driving force.”

Thanks to the support of the Global Fund, Olya helped establish ‘TBPeopleUkraine’ in 2019 – a community-led initiative supporting people living with TB. Through psycho-social peer-to-peer programmes, mobile clinics, and digital tools like ‘STP OneImpactUkraine’, the organisation ensured access to treatment even during war and the pandemic.

Olya’s work has transformed the TB response in Ukraine, addressing stigma, promoting social inclusion, and creating a network of support for patients and families. With the Global Fund’s backing, she helped bridge gaps between communities, health services, and government programmes – proving that people-centred approaches can save lives.

Learn more about Olya’s story and the work of the Global Fund in Ukraine in our new report, ‘The Next Frontline – Health Systems as the Foundation of European Defence‘.

Olya in her workspace, supporting the TB community

Image: Olya in her workspace, supporting the TB community.

Credit: TBPeople Ukraine