- Focus on global health has been increasingly active over the past 20 years, bringing about astonishing results across the world.
- With only 11 years left, we have no time to waste.
Health is not an ordinary asset; it is a condition of well-being and of economic development. Some 1.6 million people living with HIV, 3.5 million yearly cases of malaria, 158,000 yearly cases of TB; these three numbers underline the need for a lasting effort against these three pandemics that are a source of pain, death and economic loss in Kenya as well as the region.
Focus on global health has been increasingly active over the past 20 years, bringing about astonishing results across the world. One of its greatest actors is the Global Fund against Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. Born in 2001, active since 2002, in the countries in which it invests, more than 32 million lives have been saved. The number of people dying from Aids, TB and malaria has been reduced by one-third.
To date, the Global Fund has invested $1,145 million and $385 million in Kenya for the present triennium. These important investments allowed Kenyan recipients, such as public authorities and civil society organisations, to act in order to curb the epidemics. It significantly contributed to raise the number of seropositive Kenyans treated by antiretroviral drugs, the number of people treated for tuberculosis and the number of children and mothers sleeping under a long-lasting insecticidal net.
The number of people enrolled in antiretroviral treatment (ART) has tremendously increased from 98,000 in 2006 to 1,136,251 in 2019. Premature deaths attributable to HIV-Aids have been reduced by 52 percent between 2007 and 2018. Since 2017, 84,000 cases of Tuberculosis have been diagnosed and 13.6million long-lasting Insecticidal Nets distributed to prevent Malaria.
Through support by the Global Fund, the Government of Kenya and other partners, Kenyans are able to access services for HIV, TB and Malaria at no cost in all public hospitals in line with the Universal Health Care Agenda
To comply with these ambitious objectives, we don’t need only money. We also need a continuous commitment of decision-makers, stakeholders, media, and health workers on the importance of having a successful struggle against the pandemics and on the importance of having a solid health system.
During the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment Conference held on October 9-10, 2019, in Lyon, France, President Uhuru Kenyatta, represented by Health CS Sicily Kariuki pledged $6 million; an important 20 percent increase which shows the strong commitment of the Government of Kenya to the Global Fund Mechanism.
Historically, France has made health one of its public development priorities and, as such, is one of the main partners of Global Fund. More than one year ago, President Macron decided that France, with other committed nations, should continue to be at the forefront of global health and hosted the sixth replenishment conference of the Global fund in Lyon in October 2019.
In an unprecedented show of global solidarity, donors at the Global Fund's Sixth Replenishment Conference pledged $14.02 billion for the next three years. This is the largest amount ever raised for a multilateral health organisation, and the largest amount by the Global Fund.
France has taken its responsibilities with a 20 percent increase of its pledge up to 1,296 billion euros. With that support, the objectives for the 2020-2022 period are as follow: 16 million lives to be saved, the mortality rate from HIV, TB and Malaria cut by half, and build stronger health systems by 2023. This is how that together we will “Step up the fight”!
To comply with these ambitious objectives, we don’t need only money. We also need a continuous commitment of decision-makers, stakeholders, media, and health workers on the importance of having a successful struggle against the pandemics and on the importance of having a solid health system.
Ending the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030 is within reach, but not yet fully in our grasp. With only 11 years left, we have no time to waste. We must step up the fight now!