Liz Truss’ new administration is under mounting pressure to make a “firm, bold” financial pledge to an initiative set up to fight three of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, after promising nothing at a replenishment event in New York.
For the first time in 20 years, the UK made no commitments at a financing conference for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Wednesda, putting it behind countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Kenya.
Britain helped to establish the initiative – which has been credited with saving 50 million lives since 2002 – and is usually a top donor.
At the last replenishment event in 2019, the UK gave £1.4 billion, and the aid watchdog said in a report on Tuesday that the fund has performed well and hit targets.
The move has caused frustration in the development community, who say a commitment is needed now more than ever, as decades of progress against Aids, TB and malaria were set back by pandemic-related distribution.
“This is more short-sightedness,” David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, wrote on Twitter. “It will slow the fight against Aids, TB and malaria and damage the UK’s national interest.”
Sarah Champion, another Labour MP and chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee, added: “This is shameful. We know the Global Fund works well. We know it has saved many millions of lives. It is good value for money by anyone’s reckoning.
“The UK has pledged precisely nothing while our major partners in Europe and across the Atlantic give billions. The Democratic Republic of Congo has promised more than
us. I am deeply disappointed.”
The government said that a new commitment had been delayed partly due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Vicky Ford, the new international development minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, insisted an announcement will be made “in the coming weeks”.
‘Litmus test’
But major decisions were also put on hold amid the UK’s political uncertainty, with “non essential” aid spending put on hold in July, following Boris Johnson’s resignation.
The aid budget is also under strain, having been cut from 0.7 per cent of national income to 0.5 per cent – wiping out around £3bn – amid crises including the war in Ukraine, acute food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan.
The UK has until the end of October to make a pledge in this funding cycle, and NGOs said any commitment will be a “real litmus test” for Truss’ administration.
“It is understandable that the Prime Minister did not announce a pledge today, but it remains essential that Britain does not step back from its key role as one of the Global Fund’s top contributors,” said Lis Wallace, UK policy and advocacy director for The ONE Campaign.
“This will be a real litmus test for [the Truss] Government and whether it will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world. Failure to step up wouldn’t just be a sign of Britain playing a smaller role on the world stage - it will have a real impact on our ability to end these diseases for good.”
Currently, the Global Fund provides 30 per cent of all international financing for HIV programs, 76 per cent of funding for TB, and 63 per cent of funding for malaria.
This year, the fund set out to raise $18bn (£16bn) at an event hosted by US President Joe Biden and attended by leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz and Canada's Justin Trudeau.
While $14.25bn (£12.60bn) was raised – the highest amount ever pledged to a multinational organisation – the initiative fell short of its ambitious goal.
This was despite countries including the United States and Germany raising their commitments by roughly 30 per cent, to $6bn (£5.3) and €1.3bn (£1.1bn) respectively. Some lower countries – such as Uganda, Malawi and Kenya – also increased their pledges by 40-50 per cent.
UK should ‘help close the gap’
There are hopes that the UK will also invest more than in 2019, with the Global Fund hoping for a £1.8bn contribution, to plug the gap. Italy is also yet to unveil any new pledges.
If the country’s don’t step up, this could also have negative ramifications for the US’ commitment – by law, America can only contribute one third of the initiative’s total funding, but its current pledge represents 42 per cent of the budget.
Mike Podmore, director of STOPAIDS, urged the UK to make a “firm, bold financial commitment that helps close the gap to the replenishment target”.
“Anything otherwise would undermine the courageous effort of allies such as the U.S., Germany, Canada, Japan, Spain, Ireland, the European Commission, South Africa and others who have increased their pledges by 30 per cent, to get the global response to Aids, tuberculosis and malaria back on track.”
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