§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. [134716]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe UK has a long-term financial commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/ AIDS, TB and Malaria which will provide the fund with a total contribution of $280 million by 2008. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of the fund in combating these key diseases of poverty. We are working closely with the fund to ensure it has effective working procedures so that it can meet its overall goals.
We have therefore made it clear that UK funding will be subject to the GFATM reflecting a clear poverty focus, achieving a better financing system, integrating the fund's activities more effectively with national programmes and meeting agreed benchmarks to monitor its effectiveness. I am pleased to report that good progress was made at the recent sixth board meeting in Thailand on many of these issues.