UN body approves $1.1bn grants to fight AIDS, TB and malaria

More than $1.1 billion (£500,000,000 million) worth of funding to help the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria has been approved by a UN body.

The money, to be paid out by the UN Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, sees the approval of 73 new grants worldwide to stem the spread of the three infectious diseases.

Eight tenths of the funding will be targeted at projects in the developing world, with 66 per cent heading for Africa and nearly half the money to be given to projects combating HIV/AIDS.

Rajat Gupta, chair of the Global Fund Board, said: "Global Fund supported programs are already making an impact against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in many countries around the world.

"This is the largest funding round in the Global Fund's history. The Board is pleased with the strength and high level of ambition of the new grants and is looking forward to scaling up in the fight against the three diseases."

The Global Fund was founded in 2002 and according to its figures has averted two million deaths worldwide, providing AIDS treatment for 1.1 million people and TB treatment for 2.8 million, and has distributed 30 million insecticide-treated bed nets to combat malaria.

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