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Other news relating to the Global Fund partnership
GFO Issue 359

Other news relating to the Global Fund partnership

Author:

AdĆØle Sulcas

Article Type:
News

Article Number: 6

Sir Elton John joins Replenishment appeal, Japanā€™s Replenishment pledge, #FillUpTheFund campaign launch, Botswanaā€™s landmark ruling on LGBT rights, South Africaā€™s ā€˜human rightsā€™ plan for TB and HIV

ABSTRACT This GFOā€™s ā€˜Of Interestā€™ column highlights Sir Elton John and French President Emmanuel Macronā€™s joint appeal for a $14-billion Replenishment, Japanā€™s pledge to save ā€˜one million livesā€™ with its commitment to the Global Fundā€™s Sixth Replenishment, the launch of German NGOsā€™ #FillUpTheFund campaign, South Africaā€™s new human rights plan for TB and HIV, and Botswanaā€™s decriminalization of homosexuality.

Sir Elton John joins President Emmanuel Macron in calling for a $14-billion Global Fund Replenishment

On 21 June, the Global Fund issued a news release featuring Sir Elton John joining French President Emmanuel Macronā€™s call for the world to raise $14 billion for the Global Fundā€™s next Replenishment, whose pledging conference France will host in the city of Lyon in October 2019. The joint call was made at the same time as President Macron bestowed Franceā€™s highest award, the LĆ©gion dā€™Honneur, on Sir Elton, for his lifetime contribution to the arts and to the fight against HIV. The Global Fund quoted Sir Elton saying that incredible progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but that ā€œwe cannot become complacent,ā€ and that ā€œa fully replenished Global Fund is essential if we are going to consign this disease to history.ā€ Sir Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1993, to provide treatment, care and support for people living with HIV, and it has become a Global Fund partner.

Read the Global Fundā€™s full news release ā€¦.

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ā€˜Fill Up the Fundā€™ campaign launches in Germany and online

The German-led ā€˜Fill Up the Fundā€™ campaign has officially launched, to support the Global Fundā€™s Sixth Replenishment. The joint campaign involves nine NGOs: Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevƶlkerung (DSW), AktionsbĆ¼ndnis gegen Aids, Freunde des Globalen Fonds Europa, Global Citizen, Kindernothilfe, ONE, Oxfam, Plan International and World Vision.Ā The campaignā€™s most important element is a set of videos created with politicians and influencers, in support of the Global Fund. Twelve videos have been made so far ā€“ including the likes of German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentĀ Heidemarie Wieczorek-ZeulĀ and Alliance 90/Green Party memberĀ Kordula Schulz-AscheĀ Ā ā€“ and they can be viewed on the campaign website,Ā fillupthefund.de. The site is only in German language, as the campaign is aimed mainly at German MPs and the German public, DSW senior advocacy officer Katja Tielemann-Ruderer told the GFO.

Go to the #FillUptheFund websiteā€¦

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Japan commits to ā€˜saving one million livesā€™ with Replenishment pledge

On 21 June 2019, Japanā€™s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced an $840-million pledge to the Global Fund at Japanā€™s Sustainable Development Goals Promotion Headquarters, for the next three-year funding period. This sum, a 5% increase over Japanā€™s contribution for the previous period, will contribute to saving one million lives (as part of the Global Fund Investment Case goal to save 16 million lives). Japan has been a strong supporter of the Global Fund since its introduction of infectious diseases to the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa summitā€™s agenda in 2000, which was one element leading to the creation of the Global Fund in 2002. Japan is the fifth-largest contributor overall to the Global Fund.

Read the Global Fundā€™s news release on Japanā€™s pledgeā€¦

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Botswana decriminalizes homosexuality

On June 11, Botswanaā€™s High Court declared as unconstitutional colonial-era legal provisions that criminalized homosexuality. The courtā€™s decision was unanimous, finding that the ā€œsodomy lawsā€ violated privacy, were discriminatory and served no public interest. The New York Times quoted Judge Michael Leburu saying, ā€œHuman dignity is harmed when minority groups are marginalized.ā€ The Global Fund issued a press release applauding the decision. A representative of the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS said that evidence from key population programming, among other strategic interventions, had made a significant difference in building the case that led to this court decision, after an anonymous plaintiff challenged the laws in 2018.

Read the full news release from the Global Fundā€¦

Read the news articles from the New York Times, the Guardian and Al Jazeeraā€¦

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South Africaā€™s ā€˜human rightsā€™ plan for HIV and TB

The South African National AIDS Council launched a three-year plan to tackle gender inequality and human-rights-related barriers to HIV and TB health services in the country, on June 12, just before the launch of the 9th South Africa AIDS Conference in Durban. The plan, which supports South Africaā€™s National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and Sexually Transmitted infections, recognizes the ongoing gaps in reaching the most affected populations, the Global Fund press release said. It will focus on eliminating stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and TB. The plan was launched by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize at Gugu Dlamini Park, named after a young woman who was stoned to death in December 1998 after disclosing her HIV-positive status. The minister referred to South Africaā€™s 2014 Stigma Survey Index which showed that the worst forms of stigma come from family members, communities, and civil servants.

Read the Global Fundā€™s full news releaseā€¦

Read the news release from the South African Government News Agencyā€¦

 

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