Dear E-druggers,
In our Commentary published yesterday in Plos Global Public Health:
https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0004491
we contend that the end of US bilateral aid calls for re-prioritization and enhanced coordination of the global fights against HIV, TB and malaria; and that the Global Fund is uniquely positioned to undertake this endeavor, provided that there is a successful replenishment. Therefore, we outline four action points. First, all countries, regardless of income level, should support the current replenishment of the Global Fund. Second, the replenishment mechanism should move toward agreed and fair assessed contributions. Third, the Global Fund should commit to overhauling its governance structures to promote equal representation among geographical constituencies. Fourth, the Global Fund should commit to adhere to the Lusaka Agenda, which captures consensus around five key shifts for the long-term evolution of global health initiatives and the wider health ecosystem.#
In short, “Richer countries still view global health cooperation primarily as aid, from them to poorer countries. They do not seem to realize how this cooperation also protects their own interests. We must not only find enough funding to sustain it; but also rethink how we work together. Through genuine international cooperation between equal partners.”; and “It is not only a matter of keeping life-saving programs alive. It is also a matter of building and maintaining a solid ecosystem, encompassing health infrastructure, policies and human resources, to make quality health care feasible everywhere. Through solidarity we can serve common interests.” [You may also check the press release here: https://www.itg.be/en/health-stories/press-releases/international-collective-action-is-required-to-address-global-health-security-threats].
With best wishes,
Raffaella Ravinetto
Professor, Pharmaceutical Public Health
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium