-By Michael Sheldrick, Global Policy and Advocacy Manager
“Without any question, this decade really marks an amazing period of progress.”
These were the words US Secretary of State John Kerry used to describe the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in his keynote address at yesterday’s Global Fund partnership symposium. Kerry went on to list examples of “the extraordinary progress that we’ve been able to make together” including:
- A 40-fold increase in people receiving lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment over the past 10 years;
- Cuts to malaria so dramatic in some regions that infant mortality has dropped by a third; and,
- How the global target of a 50 percent reduction in TB-related deaths by 2015 is now actually within reach.
Yet as uplifting as these figures are, even more exciting is the possibility of what could come next. As Kerry himself declared, “Today, thanks to our collective investments, it is not an exaggeration to say that we are on the cusp of a really remarkable victory, the possibility of an AIDS-free generation.”
Such a possibility - unthinkable just 10 years ago - is part of the reason why so many turned up to support the Global Fund’s 4th replenishment conference over the past two days - to pledge the funding needed to take advantage of recent scientific advances to defeat AIDS, TB and malaria.
Wedged in between the Norwegian Foreign Minister and a Chevron executive, I watched in awe as country after country made significant commitments. Following Kerry’s plea for countries “to step up”, France – as if right on cue – announced a phenomenal $1.5 billion over the next 3 years; matching that pledged by the UK back in September. Canada announced $650 million over the same period, representing a 20% increase over what it announced back in 2010. And the Obama Administration itself committed to seeking appropriations from Congress matching $1 for every $2 contributed by other countries over the next three years.
There was an incredible vibe in the room, as all around countries committed to not just stemming the tide of, but defeating these devastating epidemics once and for all. The message was clear, as put so well by Kerry: “If we double down on our global efforts now, believe me, we have the ability to beat this disease, too.” And doubling down is exactly what many countries were doing.
Given this mood in the room, I was more than a little disappointed when I heard about the $200 million announced by my own country of Australia. Yes, $200 million is a solid commitment given the broader foreign aid cuts. Since $210 million is what the previous Government pledged in 2010 at least we didn’t regress too much in our support. Nonetheless, I can’t help but lament the lack of leadership from Australia – one of the wealthiest countries in the world – at a time when other countries were scaling up their support. In a room full of urgency and dynamism, Australia’s response felt rather ordinary.
Going forward we activists will have to do better. If we want governments like Australia to double down then we need to double down in our efforts too. Ultimately, the closing words of Secretary Kerry’s address could not have been anymore clear:
Our mission is clear and the need is great, and the time for action is now. And we’ve proven what we’re able to achieve over these last years. It would be almost criminally negligent to turn our backs on the knowledge we have gained, the capacity we have built, and not go out and try to complete the task. That’s the challenge for every partner in this room. And our success demands that we work together in order to try to achieve it.