
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has welcomed a new £6 million investment from GSK plc and its specialist HIV company, ViiV Healthcare. The contribution, which will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, brings the total new investment to £12 million. The funding aims to strengthen community-led initiatives combating HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria in low-income countries.
Deborah Waterhouse, CEO of ViiV Healthcare and President, Global Health GSK, emphasized the importance of empowering local organizations in achieving sustainable health outcomes. “We are proud to deepen our partnership with the Global Fund through this catalytic investment, which will help accelerate community-led responses to high burden infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. We believe that sustainable health impact begins with empowering communities and the local organisations that know them best. By supporting programs that are led by countries, community-owned and community-driven, we’re helping to build stronger, more resilient health systems where they’re needed most.”
The announcement came during a high-level event in London, marking a key milestone toward the Global Fund’s 8th Replenishment Pledging Summit in November. The event highlighted the growing role of public-private partnerships in achieving global health goals.
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary for the United Kingdom, acknowledged the progress made by the Global Fund while warning of ongoing challenges. “The Global Fund has saved 70 million people from AIDS, TB and malaria since 2002. But the fight isn’t over. Climate change is contributing to a rise in malaria cases, HIV stigma still stops people from seeking treatment, and TB kills more people than any other infectious disease. As the UK co-hosts the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment with South Africa, it’s really welcome and important to see British business stepping up. Private sector investment and innovation is key to finding new treatments, improving access to care and ultimately ending AIDS, TB and malaria - because we know that global challenges won’t be solved if we wait until they land on our own doorstep.”
The Global Fund’s 8th Replenishment, co-hosted by South Africa and the UK, will fund programs for 2027–2029. So far, over US$3 billion has been raised, including more than US$1 billion from private sector donors, a large portion from British philanthropy.
Hon. Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, praised the renewed commitment, stating, “South Africa is proud to co-host the Global Fund’s 8th Replenishment, and we welcome the renewed commitment from GSK and ViiV Healthcare to innovation and equity in global health. Partnerships like these — between governments, the private sector, and communities — are essential to sustain progress against HIV and malaria.”
Joe Cerrell, Managing Director at the Gates Foundation, announced that “up to $100 million in matching funds” would be made available to encourage more private and philanthropic investments.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, underscored the significance of this collaboration: “This commitment from GSK and ViiV Healthcare sends a powerful message - when public and private actors unite around a shared vision, we can drive real, lasting change.”
The partnership reinforces the vital role of grassroots organizations in driving equitable, sustainable health solutions and demonstrates how private sector innovation can amplify the global fight against infectious diseases.