[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 318--TO SUPPORT THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, 
         TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA, AND THE SIXTH REPLENISHMENT

  Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Coons, Mr. 
Rubio, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 318

       Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
     Malaria has been an effective partnership of governments, the 
     private sector, civil society, and affected communities to 
     galvanize political and financial efforts to improve the 
     response to these epidemics since 2002;
       Whereas, in 2017, the Global Fund contributed to 
     extraordinary improvements in global health that would 
     otherwise not have occurred, including a more than 50 percent 
     reduction in the number of AIDS-related deaths since the peak 
     in 2005, a 37 percent decline in tuberculosis (TB) deaths 
     since 2000, and a 60 percent decline in the number of malaria 
     deaths since 2000;
       Whereas, since the Global Fund's creation in 2002, more 
     than 27,000,000 lives have been saved in the countries where 
     it invests;
       Whereas the Global Fund and its partners work to maintain a 
     steadfast commitment to transparency and accountability and 
     have received high marks in multilateral aid reviews and by 
     independent watchdog groups;
       Whereas a 2019 study published in the Annals of Global 
     Health found evidence of associated improvements in 
     government accountability, control of corruption, political 
     freedoms, regulatory quality, and rule of law that are 
     significant in countries where the Global Fund invests;
       Whereas, despite progress in combating AIDS, tuberculosis, 
     and malaria, challenges such as drug and insecticide 
     resistance, reaching marginalized and vulnerable populations, 
     and complacency in the fight against infectious diseases 
     threaten further progress;
       Whereas United States leadership has been critical to the 
     success of the Global Fund, both as its largest donor and 
     through its oversight role on the Board of the Global Fund;
       Whereas Global Fund programs and activities support and 
     complement United States bilateral health programs, including 
     the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the 
     President's Malaria Initiative, and the United States Agency 
     for International Development tuberculosis program;
       Whereas the United States is limited by law from 
     contributing more than 33 percent of the Global Fund budget, 
     thereby encouraging other partners to significantly increase 
     their contributions;
       Whereas the Global Fund's requirements for co-financing 
     have spurred domestic investments, with recipient countries 
     committing 41 percent more of their own funding to fight 
     AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria for 2018-2020 compared to 
     2015-2017;
       Whereas the Global Fund has called on donors to support its 
     Sixth Replenishment by mobilizing a minimum of 
     $14,000,000,000 in donor commitments for 2021-2023;
       Whereas Canada, the European Union, Germany, India, 
     Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, and 
     the United Kingdom have responded to the call by 
     significantly increasing their respective pledges for the 
     Sixth Replenishment;
       Whereas recipient countries also are expected to increase 
     their co-financing by 48 percent, growing to $46,000,000,000 
     in 2021-2023; and
       Whereas, with these resources secured, the Global Fund 
     projects it will reduce the number of deaths due to AIDS, TB, 
     and malaria by nearly 50 percent, avert 234,000,000 
     infections or disease cases, and save an additional 
     16,000,000 lives; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the work of the Global Fund and its partners 
     for their contributions aimed at ending the epidemics of 
     AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria;
       (2) affirms the support of the United States for the goal 
     of securing a minimum of $14,000,000,000 in donor commitments 
     for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment, to be held on 
     October 10, 2019, in Lyon, France;
       (3) urges donor countries to step up the fight and increase 
     their pledges for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment;
       (4) urges Global Fund recipient countries to continue to 
     make and meet ambitious co-financing commitments to sustain 
     progress in ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and 
     malaria; and
       (5) encourages United States bilateral aid programs to 
     continue their collaboration with the Global Fund to maximize 
     the life-saving impact of global health investments.

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