The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria signed a cooperation and financing agreement to implement 10 strategic initiatives to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics and strengthen systems for health.
The WHO said the new agreement, which will cover the 2021-2023, aims to address some of the persistent challenges that impede progress against the three diseases and protect hard-won gains from new pandemics like COVID-19.
In 2019, a total of 1.4 million people died from tuberculosis and an estimated 409,000 people died from malaria. In 2020, 690,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Among other goals, the strategic initiatives seek to:
· Expand TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV in 9 countries across Africa
· Strengthen efforts to provide differentiated HIV service delivery
· Accelerate efforts to find people with TB missed by health systems in 20 countries
· Accelerate introduction of innovation for multi-drug resistant TB treatment through regional operational research in Eastern and Central Europe
· Support 26 countries and territories to eliminate malaria by 2025
