The authors of the report emphasize that global health is at a crunch point, with health crises occurring at increasing frequency and health inequities ever more starkly apparent. COVID-19 is still far from over. Global food and energy shortages and price hikes resulting from the war in Ukraine and climate change will make the poorest communities in the world more vulnerable to all the deadliest infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. Monkeypox illustrates the ability of existing pathogens to mutate and pose new challenges.

A separate section of the report is devoted to the activities of the Global Fund in Ukraine after the beginning of the military conflict. It states that prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Global Fund partners had made significant progress toward ending AIDS and TB in the country. Over the last 20 years, Ukraine has been a champion in maintaining long-term and innovative HIV and TB programs. Despite these achievements, our country still has the second largest HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and remains one of the high-priority countries to fight TB in the region today.

Since the start of the conflict, more than 15 million people have been internally displaced or forced to flee to neighboring countries as refugees. More than 320 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, including three TB hospitals, leaving health care workers and patients displaced, injured or killed. HIV and TB prevention and diagnosis services have been disrupted, and many people living with the diseases have been forced to interrupt their treatment.

The Global Fund has supported Ukraine in using grant flexibilities, allowing Ukraine to repurpose US$26 million from its existing Global Fund grants to adapt program implementation. Immediately after the invasion in early March 2022, the Global Fund approved US$15 million in emergency funding to Ukraine. US$11 million of the emergency funding has been used to procure HIV, TB and opioid substitution therapy commodities. This is in addition to the US$135.7 million in grants and catalytic matching funds allocated to Ukraine to support the fight against HIV and TB over the 2020-2022 period, and Case study the US$54.5 million for the country’s COVID-19 response – totaling nearly US$190 million.

The Global Fund has also provided US$1 million to Moldova and US$3.9 million to Romania, both of which host many Ukrainian refugees, including people living with HIV and TB.

Results Report 2022. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, September 2022 (EN)