The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) alongside governments and private sector have announced new funding commitments totaling $1.27 billion which will aim to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) and save millions of lives.
During United Nations General Assembly week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—alongside governments, philanthropies, the private sector, NGOs, and global and community leaders—announced commitments totaling $1.27 billion to improve and save millions of lives.
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The Foundation’s pledge of $912million is the largest funding commitment to the Global Funds towards fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This funding will also help accelerate efforts to end HIV, TB, and malaria by 2030 and build resilient health systems needed to protect against future pandemics. It also will be instrumental in reducing the disproportionate impact of these diseases on women and girls.
Earlier in the week, BMGF had released the sixth edition of the annual Goalkeepers Report which indicated that nearly every indicator of the Global Goals is off track at the halfway point for achieving them by 2030.
The CEO of the Foundation, Mark Suzman reacting said the world face an urgency in finding sustainable solutions that can save and improve lives and is one reason the Foundation is stepping up its commitment.
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Suzman: “This week has underscored the urgency of the challenges we face, and the promise of sustainable solutions that save and improve lives. We can get back on track toward the SDGs, but it’s going to take a new level of collaboration and investment from every sector. That’s why our foundation is significantly stepping up our commitment to help confront crises now and ensure long-term impact across critical determinants of health and development.”
The commitments made at the Global Fund Replenishment Conference, will advance the goal of achieving good health and well-being for all. The funding will go toward the Global Fund’s goal of saving 20 million more lives from HIV, TB, and malaria; building more resilient health systems to prevent future pandemics; and putting the world back on track to end these diseases by 2030.
Bill Gate, co-chair of the foundation said: “We see the greatest progress when governments, the private sector, and local communities collaborate in global health programs. The commitment this week to combat preventable diseases and save millions more lives through the Global Fund replenishment is a great step forward in getting back on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”
In a statement made available in New York, the Foundation said there will be $100 million to help alleviate the food crisis disproportionately impacting communities in Africa and South Asia and address its underlying causes.
Specifically the funding will go to: the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to support national governments in rebuilding resilient, sustainable local food systems; the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) to make fertilizers affordable and accessible for smallholder farmers and the CGIAR’s Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture research center to accelerate work that is already supplying farmers with improved and new varieties of crops, such as beans high in iron; sweet potatoes naturally rich in vitamin A; and naturally hardy cassava, millet, and sorghum.
The funding will also help working with partners to supply sustainable feed and fodder to African families that depend on livestock as a critical source of income and nutrient-dense food and to strengthen local food systems by empowering women farmers with the tools and resources they need to succeed and support their communities .
In addition, the foundation will double its previous commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund—from $10 million to $20 million. “Our investment will support the fund’s expansion beyond ready-to-use therapeutic food to include preventative nutrition products for both women and children,” it says.
Moreover, $200 million will be used to expand global Digital Public Infrastructure and help expand infrastructure that low- and middle-income countries can use to become more resilient to crises such as food shortages, public health threats, and climate change, as well as to aid in pandemic and economic recovery. This infrastructure encompasses tools such as interoperable payment systems, digital ID, data-sharing systems, and civil registry databases.
