"Only if the Fund is run in an effective and imaginative way will the
various public and private donors make contributions to it," said the
Secretary-General, who was briefed on Monday in New York by Dr Chrispus
Kiyonga, the chairman of a transitional working group tasked with setting up
the fund. The fund, the statement said, had already received nearly US $1.5
billion in commitments from a wide range of donors - governments,
foundations, the corporate sector and individuals.
"Our task is to develop a new structure and working methods that will enable
the Fund to spend resources most cost-effectively and in ways that produce
measurable results," said Kiyonga, a Ugandan cabinet member who previously
served as health and finance minister.
The decision to create a transitional working group and secretariat was
taken at a meeting in July of nearly 40 donor and developing countries, as
well as multilateral organisations, foundations, non-governmental groups and
the corporate sector. The fund's ultimate goal would be to mobilise
additional resources, and to channel them to developing countries to ensure
rapid progress in addressing the huge challenges caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria
and tuberculosis, said the statement. For more information on the Global
Health Fund: http://www.unfoundation.org/campaigns/aids/index.asp