As the G20 met in Hamburg, Germany July 7-8, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Europe called on Germany, China and other G20 leaders to increase their pledges and to commit their fair share to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The efforts are part of the ramping up of AHF’s “Fund the Fund” campaign.
AHF Europe drafted an open letter specifically to Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel along with a statement for media–both of which were distributed to Merkel and other G20 leaders. The materials were also sent to over 100 media outlets worldwide, including 20 national press bureaus covering the summit.
“If funding continues to decrease, we’ll lose the great gains we’ve made over recent years,” said AHF Europe Advocacy Director Denis Godlevskiy. “The HIV epidemic remains the deadliest in modern history. Over 1 million people die of AIDS-related causes every year and 2 million become infected with HIV. More money to the Fund can keep the world moving in a positive direction.”
The advocacy information was also handed out to representatives of official delegations from Canada, South Africa, Russia and China.
“We applaud Germany for demonstrating its commitment during the Fifth Replenishment Round of the Global Fund last September by increasing its pledge by more than thirty percent,” said AHF Europe Bureau Chief Zoya Shabarova. “Even though we commend Germany’s leadership, the campaign is not over. We continue to urge other countries like China to be generous and to commit their fair share to the Global Fund.”
China has been the focus of recent AHF advocacy efforts since the economic powerhouse came under fire last year for meager Global Fund pledges compared to its peers.
