After three years, Italy has re-joined the ranks of donor countries to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The announcement was made by Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli in Washington, where a fund “Replenishment Conference” is being held. The conference aims to raise 15 billion dollars for the next 3 years.
100 million euros from Italy for the next 3 years
Italy’s contribution, explained Pistelli, will amount to 100 million euros for the next 3 years. “This is a strong and highly symbolic signal and marks a profound break with the recent past”, declared Pistelli. “A signal that was welcomed by Bill Gates, with whom I had a long discussion in which I reiterated our country’s on-going and constant efforts to help fight these terrible diseases”.
Italy the world’s 8th donor country
The Global Fund was set up after the G8 in Genoa in 2001. Notwithstanding our halt to funding over the last three years, Italy remains the world’s 8th donor country. According to the fund’s experts, the target funding of 15 billion dollars would be sufficient to achieve “the beginning of the end” of the three epidemics.
