See a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada regarding our call for Canada to pledge 30% more than what was committed in the Global Fund’s 6th Replenishment. We need the Canadian government to invest now in HIV, TB and Malaria.
The Government of Canada
The Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Ottawa, Canada
CC: The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan – Minister of International Development and Minister
responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
The Honourable Marci Ien – Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
02 August, 2022
Re: The Government of Canada’s commitment to the 7th Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
We write to you at AIDS 2022 on behalf of Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) Advocates, Speak Up Africa, and the HER Voice Fund. We are global and regional networks of gender equality advocates from 62 countries, committed to ensuring that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) programmes are gender-transformative to meet the rights and priorities of women and girls in all our diversity.
With less than 50 days left until the pledging conference in September, we look to Canada as the 6th largest public donor to the Global Fund. AIDS2022, is a stark reminder that the impact of COVID-19 has set us off track and affected key programmatic results for HIV. Global pandemics and complex operating environments threaten our efforts toward realising the 2030 Agenda.
We implore Canada to show your continued leadership in global health by making a strong pledge to the Global Fund’s 7th Replenishment at AIDS 2022. We need Canada to pledge 30% more than what was committed in the Global Fund’s 6th Replenishment, to raise at least US$18 billion for the Global Fund.
Failure to raise at least US$18 billion to deliver the Global Fund’s Investment Case will have dire consequences for our lives and livelihoods. Women, girls, marginalized and criminalized populations continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, TB and malaria. The role you played in advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development assures us of your solidarity and leadership toward achieving gender equality protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls.
As a diverse network of women and girls, we have seized all opportunities to inform HIV, TB and malaria policies, strategies and national responses. We are proud of our contributions to and advocacy toward the new Global Fund strategy (2023 -2028), which prioritizes human rights and gender equality across the three diseases. As active civil society advocates for
gender equality and the rights of women and girls, we are aligned with the objectives spelled out in your policy on gender equality and your feminist foreign policy.
Your contribution to date of CAD3,69 billion to the Global Fund has been instrumental in helping to ensure that women and girls, especially those living with HIV and young women inmost affected countries, are able to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We know this because about one third of Global Fund funding directly benefits
SRHR, including activities like comprehensive sexuality education, addressing gender-based violence and supporting girls to stay in school. This makes the Global Fund arguably the largest multilateral provider of grants to improve the health and wellbeing of girls and women
globally.
Reaching at least US$18 billion would allow the Global Fund to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women in the most affected countries by 72%. It would save 20 million lives (from 2024-2026) and reduce the mortality rate by 64% across the three diseases by 2026, relative to 2020 levels. We also know that every US$1 invested increases 31-fold and supports health gains and economic returns, further contributing to the
achievement of the SDGs.
We are relying on Canada to keep up the momentum and continue to support gender transformative and affirming approaches through the Global Fund, now and in the future. Inequitable access to health services and commodities exacerbates inequalities and undermine progress made. Failing to commit 30% more than in the 6th Replenishment will
jeopardise any gains made and will have devastating impacts for women and girls the world over, including by undermining previous investments made by all donors.
We thank you for your leadership and hope for assurances of your highest consideration to this pressing matter of global concern.
Most respectfully and in solidarity,
Ms. Sonal Mehta (W4GF Chair)
W4GF is a dynamic global platform of women and gender equality advocates who share a deep commitment to ensuring that Global Fund programmes are gender-transformative to meet the rights and priorities of women and girls in all our diversity. For more information, contact Sophie Dilmitis, Global Coordinator, Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) EMAIL |WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
The HER (HIV Epidemic Response) Voice Fund supports the meaningful engagement and leadership of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in decision-making spaces with the aim of reducing HIV incidence and improving our broader health,
well-being, and rights. For more information, contact Maximina Jokonya, HER Voice Fund Coordinator, EMAIL| WEB| FACEBOOK|TWITTER
Headquartered in Senegal, Speak Up Africa is a policy and advocacy action tank dedicated to catalyzing leadership, enabling policy change, and increasing awareness for sustainable development in Africa. With ensuring health and well-being of all at our core, we support SDGs 1 to 6 in transforming societies throughout Africa. For more information, contact Maelle Ba, Strategic Communications Manager at Speak Up Africa | EMAIL | WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
W4GF advocates in Albania, Argentina, America, Australian, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Dominican Republic, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Thailand, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.