On Tuesday 3 May 2016, Luxembourg received Dr. Mark Dybul, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as part of the fifth replenishment of the Global Fund resources being held in autumn this year.
Luxembourg Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Romain Schneider, held a working meeting with Dr. Dybul with the aim of giving the Global Fund the opportunity to present its new 2017-2021, as well as to take stock of the relations between the Global Fund and Luxembourg.
Minister Schneider announced that Luxembourg will increase its contribution to the Global Fund from 2.5 to 2.7 million a year for the period 2017-2019, indicating a total of €8.1 million and an increase of 8%.
"The Global Fund remains an important and privileged partner of the Luxembourg cooperation in achieving its fundamental goal of universal health coverage in the health sector," commented Romain Schneider. "The eradication of the three pandemics is an essential element which we can not reach without the action of the Global Fund."
Dr. Mark Dybul gladly received the news, noting that "it is through early pledges from countries such as Luxembourg, which continue to show commitment and exceptional generosity in their support for the Global Fund's mission, that we can consider a successful replenishment of resources that will enable the Global Fund to help achieve the overall objective of ending the AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics by 2030."
A lunch will be held in Dr. Mark Dybul's honour, bringing together Minister Schneider as well as Minister of Health of Luxembourg, Lydia Mutsch, Minister of Health of Laos, Prof. Dr. Bounkong Syhavong and the deputy and special UNAIDS 90-90-90 ambassador, Marc Angel. Those present will review the conclusions of the special high-level session on drugs which was held in New York from 19 to 21 April 2016.
Dr. Mark Dybul is also due to meet with the President as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, before participating alongside Minister Schneider in a conference entitles "An Ambition for Global Health: Luxembourg's Investment in the Global Fund to move towards global health coverage", organised by the Friends of the Global Fund Europe in partnership with the Global Fund and the Directorate of Cooperation at the Abbaye de Neumünster.
The Global Fund was created in 2002 as a public-private partnership with the objective of raising funds to fight against the three aforementioned diseases. Three quarters of all funds are channelled for TB, 58% for malaria and 25% for HIV/AIDS. Luxembourg is the Fund's third donor per capita and 20th in absolute terms.
Photo by MAEE
