Canada commits $930M to Global Fund fight against AIDS and other diseases

OTTAWA – The Liberal government is shoring up its commitment to eradicating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

International Development Minister Maryam Monsef says Canada is contributing $930 million to the Global Fund over three years, a nearly 16-per-cent increase to its current support for the international organization aimed at reducing the spread and devastating impact of the three infectious diseases.

The announcement follows a commitment the Liberals made at the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver in June to annually contribute $1.4 billion until 2030 to fund global health and nutrition, including sexual and reproductive rights and health.

The increase in spending, for 2020 to 2022, continues a tradition of adding to the Global Fund’s replenishment drive every three years, which also happened under the Conservative government of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Canada’s total contribution to the fund is now more than $3.9 billion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the previous pledge of $804 million at a star-studded international conference in Montreal in 2016, which included U2 singer Bono, who founded the One Campaign, an anti-poverty advocacy group.