Key Summary
- The UK plans a 20% cut to its Global Fund contribution, following a 30% reduction three years ago
- Charities warn this could cause over 300,000 preventable deaths and reverse progress against major diseases
- The government insists no final decision will be made until the upcoming Global Fund summit
The UK plans to slash 20 per cent of their contribution to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer will announce the final decision on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa next month.
The anticipated cut could result in more than 300,000 otherwise preventable deaths, says charities.
This additional 20 per cent reduction in aid funds, three years after a 30 per cent cut, is expected to severely impact global healthcare.
It is a blow on preventable disease control soon after Donald Trump’s US aid deduction.
At present, there is no clarity regarding UK’s stand.
A government official said no decision will be announced until the Global Fund’s “replenishment” summit, covering 2027-29 occurs.
There are also rumours that the cut extent is exaggerated as well as the government is planning to reduce its funding from £1 billion to £800 million.
Following this, a 25 per cent reduction of UK funds towards the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) will also take place.
The eventual £1.25 billion commitment over five years to Gavi was nonetheless higher than many aid agencies had feared.
Experts are already worried about the fatal consequences of UK’s calculations.
They expect massive numbers of child deaths and impact on UK trade and health security.
“The world stands on the brink of a malaria resurgence, which will be so much more likely triggered if the UK makes a cut to its contribution to the Global Fund,” said Gareth Jenkins, an executive director at Malaria No More.
“The cut would send a terrible message, particularly as the UK is officially co-hosting next month’s funding event,” spoke StopAids’ chief executive, Mike Podmore expressing his concern.
UK’s step back while US is abandoning the vaccination programme points out a devastating future, opines experts across the globe.
The UK head of the development campaign One, Adrian Lovett added, “The cut would put at risk decades of progress in the fight against Aids, TB and malaria – and as diseases do not stop at borders, it would jeopardise our own health security here at home too”.
However, a Foreign Office spokesperson said, “The UK has not yet decided what its pledge to the Global Fund will be. We will announce this in due course.”
