“The world’s donor countries on Tuesday pledged $12 billion over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,” the New York Times reports. “The amount was more than the fund took in at its last pledge conference in 2010, but less than the $15 billion it had hoped for. And it is far short of the ambitious goal of $10 billion a year set when the fund was created in 2002,” according to the newspaper (McNeil, 12/3). “The pledges represent a 30 percent increase over the $9.2 billion in firm pledges secured in 2010 for the 2011-2013 period,” a Global Fund press release states, adding, “The contributions announced [Tuesday] include funding from 25 countries, as well as the European Commission, private foundations, corporations and faith-based organizations.” On Monday, President Barack Obama “said the United States — the Global Fund’s biggest donor — would uphold its challenge to pledge $1 for every $2 committed by others through September 2014,” the press release notes.

Ambassador Samantha Power, the permanent representative to the U.N. for the United States government, gave an opening address at the replenishment meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., according to the press release (12/3). “These pledges are a demonstration of global solidarity and trust to move towards ending the three diseases,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said at the meeting, the U.N. News Centre reports. Global Fund Executive Director Mark Dybul said in his closing remarks, “The 21st century ideals that led to the founding of the Global Fund are now stronger than ever: partnership, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability. In many ways, this is a replenishment of hope. It is a lifting up of the human spirit,” the news service notes (12/3). U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who also spoke at the meeting, said, “[O]ur mission is clear. We cannot stop until we have seen the last AIDS-related death, and no child is again born infected with HIV,” according to United Press International (12/3).

Additional information regarding the U.S. Global Fund pledge, as well as other announcements made in recognition of World AIDS Day, is available from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s “Policy Tracker” (12/3).