“At a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 3, donors pledged $12 billion to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the next three years for activities to fight the three most deadly diseases in resource-poor settings. Although a record amount for the fund, the result falls short of the $15 billion the organization had hoped to raise,” The Lancet reports. “Donors restored their confidence in the Global Fund this month with substantial funding promises, but economic woes prevent some from increasing their contributions,” the journal writes, noting “in times of austerity, most donors did not increase their contributions to the extent the Global Fund had hoped.” The Lancet examines the pledges made by various donor countries, including the U.S., which “confirmed that it would provide $4 billion” and will add an additional $1 for every $2 committed in addition to the current pledges. “The final donor pledge is likely to increase somewhat from $12 billion in the coming months,” the journal adds (Usher, 12/21).