Global Fund Releases New Performance Data

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 8

ABSTRACT Cumulative data to June 2010 reveal significant increases in lives saved and services delivered through programmes supported by the Global Fund.

As of June 2010, 5.7 million lives have been saved as a result of programmes supported by the Global Fund, according to estimates recently released by the Fund. The Global Fund calculates that this means that another 4,000 deaths are averted every day.

These saved lives resulted from actions that included 2.8 million people receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy (up 22% from June 2009); seven million new smear-positive TB cases being detected and treated (up 30%); and 122 million bed nets being distributed (up 39%).

Programmes supported by the Global Fund have produced the following additional results: 2.3 billion condoms have been distributed; 930,000 HIV-positive pregnant women have received a complete course of ARV prophylaxis to reduce mother-to-child transmission; 120 million HIV counselling and testing sessions have been conducted; and 4.9 million basic care and support services have been provided to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

“In less than a decade, the Global Fund has gone from an idea to a highly efficient tool to turn donor resources into lives saved,” said Prof. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “If donors provide sufficient resources, by 2015 we could virtually eliminate transmission of HIV from mother to child, dramatically reduce deaths from AIDS and prevent missions of new HIV infections, and achieve significant declines in TB prevalence and mortality.”

The information for this article was taken from “2.8 Million People on AIDS Treatment Through Global Fund Investments,” a press release issued by the Global Fund, at www.theglobalfund.org/en/pressreleases/?pr=pr_100608.