Global Fund Event – Investment Case
March 15, 2016 by Charles Goerens
Brussels, 15/03/2016
Dës Woch huet de Global Fund (to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) säin Investment Case am Europaparlament firgestalt. Derbäi ware Matarbechter aus der Kommissioun, Membere vun den ACP-Staaten souwéi Deputéierter aus dem Europaparlament wéi de Louis Michel (eemolege belschen Ausseminister) an d’Linda McAvan (Präsidentin vun der Entwécklungskommissioun). D’Event gouf organséiert vun den Amis du Fonds Mondial.
Speakers:
• Dr. Christoph Benn, Director of External Relations, The Global Fund (13.10-13:30)
• Dr. Jan Paehler, EC, DG DEVCO (13:30-13:40)
• His Excellency, Dr. Kaire Mbuende of Namibia, the Chair of the Subcommittee for Sustainable Develop in the ACP (13:40-13:50)
• Open Floor for Debate (13:-14:30)
“We are here today to hear from the Global Fund on its ambitious Investment Case for 2017-2019. How it will, with the support of the European Union and ACP Group of States, stay on the right side of the tipping point in the fight against the three diseases. We will also hear from the Commission and the ACP, what their views are on their roles in regard to the fight and in light of the plans and strategies outlined in the Investment Case. Then we will open the floor to questions, and I am sure that my colleagues from the Parliament and the ACP Group of States have many questions and concerns.
At the beginning of March, Commissioner Mimica made a welcome announcement: the Commission has pledged 470 million EUR to the Global Fund for 2017-2019. Of course, a part of this amount is due to the commitment of the ACP Group of States, for which we are all very grateful. We hope this strong signal of support will inspire EU Member States to scale-up their contributions.
Friends of the Global Fund Europe organized this meeting with the aim of fostering the partnership between the EU, ACP and the Global Fund, so that our collective efforts at combatting the diseases will be carried out in a reinvigorated spirit of cooperation. If the Global Goals and plans outlined in the Investment Case are to be made a reality, then all the actors gathered here today need to understand where we are now and how we can get to where we want: the elimination of the three diseases and through that, the establishment of strong, well-functioning health and community systems. If we all understand that non-action or even business-as-usual would be a disaster to the tremendous results so far, we can continue to make great headway together toward the Global Goals and avoid the resurgence of disease and avert more preventable deaths.
Perhaps some of you have heard this before. Bill Gates once said: “If someone told me they had a better idea for improving the world, I would ask: ‘Can you beat a nine-fold return on investment, saving more than 61 million children and 3 million mothers, and preventing 21 million deaths from AIDS and 10 million from TB?’ Frankly, I doubt it. But if you can, I would love to see your plan.”
Of course the Global Fund has a plan. And now I am going to turn it over to Christoph Benn from the Global Fund so that he can present the best plans to eradicate the three diseases and continue transforming the global health landscape to the benefit of developing and developed countries around the world.”
Photos (c) Europarl
