The UK government has announced a significant reduction in its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, cutting its pledge by £150 million compared to previous commitments.
Details of the funding reduction
In a written statement, the government confirmed it will commit £850 million to the Global Fund for the 2027-29 funding period. This represents a 15% cut from the £1 billion pledged by the Conservative government during the last funding round.
While the final amount is slightly higher than the £800 million that had been discussed by officials, aid organisations have described the reduction as a serious setback in global efforts to combat these preventable diseases.
Reactions from health campaigners
Kitty Arie, chief executive of Results UK, expressed deep concern about the decision. "This represents a serious setback in the fight to end Aids, tuberculosis and malaria," she stated. "This marks the first time in the Global Fund's history that a host country has reduced its pledge - setting a worrying precedent."
Mike Podmore of StopAids warned that the cut "threatens the real possibility of ending Aids by 2030" and could disrupt essential medicines for people living with HIV while denying marginalised communities access to prevention services.
Potential human impact
The consequences of this funding reduction are expected to be severe. When a 20% cut to £800 million had been anticipated, aid agencies estimated it could lead to:
- Up to 340,000 avoidable deaths
- Nearly 5.9 million preventable infections
- Disruption to treatment programmes across multiple countries
The actual 15% reduction, while slightly less severe, still represents a major blow to global health initiatives.
Government justification and context
Government officials have defended the decision, arguing that within the context of broader overseas aid reductions, it actually represents "a good vote of confidence in the global fund".
The UK's overseas aid budget has been reduced from 0.7% of national income to 0.5%, with plans to decrease it further to 0.3% in 2027. Officials point to other pressing commitments in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine as factors in the decision.
The total amount pledged by all countries to the Global Fund will be announced later this month at an event co-hosted by the UK during the G20 summit in South Africa, which Keir Starmer is scheduled to attend.
This cut follows a previous 30% reduction in the UK's contribution three years ago, creating what campaigners describe as a dangerous trend that could encourage other donor governments to reduce their commitments.
