Kenya and Uganda are among 11 countries to pledge $32 million to the Global Fund ahead of its annual fundraising scheduled for October in France.

In its 2019 report, Global Fund–an international financing organisation that fundraises and disburses money for controlling and treating HIV and Aids, Tuberculosis and malaria–Kenya has pledged $5 million, coming behind Nigeria which offered $10 million, and tied with South Africa, which promised to give $5 million as well.

In East Africa, Uganda is the only other contributor – pledging $1.5 million. The other African countries offering to contribute are Zambia ($3 million), Benin ($2 million) and Namibia ($1.5 million. The rest–Zimbabwe, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Senegal–have each pledged $1 million.

Reverse roles

Kenya– just like Benin, India, South Africa and Thailand–was a recipient but has now become a donor.

To encourage active participation in funding for their own health systems, the Global Fund has been calling for countries to contribute to the organisation, and not just receive.

Global Fund, alongside other partners, are supporting the World Health Organisation backed roll-out

of Malaria Vaccine– called RTS–the first of its kind in the continent piloted in Malawi, Ghana and Kenya.

Malaria kills nearly 20,000 every year in Kenya according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are among the 13 countries where the organization, working with PEPFAR, has increased money allocations in 2017-2019 period to address sexuality in teenagers.

The other countries are Botswana, Cameroon,, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.