Campaigners have warned that the United Kingdom risks undermining its legacy in combating AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by cutting its contribution to a leading global health fund.
The government announced a £850 million pledge to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Tuesday, down from £1 billion in the previous round, a 15% reduction. The cut comes in a year when the UK, alongside South Africa, is co-hosting the fund’s replenishment drive. Advocates fear it could encourage other donors to scale back commitments.
Campaigners urged Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to attend the Johannesburg summit later this month and find additional funding. The smaller pledge forms part of a broader reduction in UK aid spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP to increase defence funding.
British Development Minister Jenny Chapman defended the pledge, noting that in dollar terms it is “only 5% less than the amount” pledged for 2023-25, and could “save up to 1.3 million lives, avert up to 22 million new cases of HIV, TB, and malaria, and generate up to £13 billion in health gains.”
Experts warned the cut will have serious consequences. Prof Kenneth Ngure, president-elect of the International AIDS Society, said, “Any reduction in support will have consequences, forcing African countries to make impossible choices as they strive to protect the most vulnerable”.
The Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, Joy Phumaphi, added that fewer resources would mean fewer bed nets, medicines, and diagnostics reaching those most in need. Research suggests a 20% cut to the Global Fund could cause 330,000 additional malaria deaths by 2040.
“As co-hosts of this replenishment, the UK has a chance to reaffirm its global leadership by investing in stronger, more resilient health systems that benefit millions”, Phumaphi concluded.
Campaigners proposed redirecting savings from UK asylum seeker hotel costs to increase the pledge. Andriy Klepikov noted that more than half a million Ukrainians rely on HIV and TB services funded by the Global Fund, underscoring the global impact.
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