EU pledges 550 mn euro to fight against three deadly diseases

BRUSSLS, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- The European Union Saturday announced a 550 million euro (USD 613 million) pledge to the Global Fund which is an international partnership to fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world.
European Council President Donald Tusk, representing the EU at this year's G7 summit, made the announcement in Biarritz, France, said an EU press release.
It comes ahead of the Global Fund donors' conference that will take place in October in Lyon, as more support is needed so that developing countries can improve their health systems and end the three epidemics by 2030, it noted.
The Global Fund seeks to raise at least 12.6 billion euro (USD 14 billion) for the period 2020-2022. By 2023, these funds should help save an additional 16 million lives, avert 234 million infections, cut the mortality rate from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems, it said.
The Fund's work has already saved 27 million lives since it was created in 2002.(end) nk.tg