Germany to double UNAIDS funding

The government of Germany has announced that it will double its funding to UNAIDS in 2017-18, to €5 million per year.

Germany made the announcement at the 40th Meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, being held in Geneva, Switzerland, in a statement issued today.

"With Germany, we have a common goal of ending AIDS and a shared commitment to strengthen health systems and improve the health and well-being of people across the world," the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé said adding, "We warmly welcome Germany's support and its recognition of the important role that UNAIDS plays in ending AIDS and in broader global health and development efforts."

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths

UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations namely UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

"UNAIDS is an important partner for Germany's health and development agenda, particularly in Africa. Increased investment in UNAIDS and the AIDS response will have a multiplier effect on the wider Sustainable Development Goal agenda," Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany Gerd Müller said.

Germany has prioritized health on the global development agenda and under its current Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) held the first ever G20 health ministers meeting in May 2017.

"Ending AIDS is a historic goal and I firmly believe we can reach it. We have to increase our joint efforts and UNAIDS is central to that work," said Hermann Gröhe, Federal Minister of Health, Germany.