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President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the 8th replenishment global fund summit.
Quintin Mills/The Global Fund
- The 8th Global Fund replenishment summit in Sandton raised $11.34 billion for Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, with $36 million coming from South Africa.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa, as the fund’s co-chair for 2025, emphasised health equity and multilateralism.
- The UK and Germany affirmed the fund’s importance for global health, economic growth and stability, highlighting multilateral cooperation.
Several nations have raised $11.34 billion for the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with $36 million coming from the South African government and business community.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the fund’s co-chair for 2025, announced this on Friday at the 8th Global Fund replenishment summit in Sandton.
Ramaphosa and several other world leaders highlighted that the summit was crucial, now more than ever, after “one country’s” withdrawal of funding for health.
This was in reference to the United States’ withdrawal of PEPFAR funding earlier this year.
Ramaphosa, who delivered the keynote address, said the 8th replenishment summit took place “at a time when multilateralism is sorely tested”.
“This 8th replenishment summit of the Global Fund is indeed a milestone for global health. Building resilient health systems, scaling up local manufacturing of medicines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, and securing sustainable financing are vital for both social and economic development for the people of a vulnerable,” he added.
“Without a healthy population, nations cannot prosper. It is therefore essential that we close gaps in access to medicines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, and financing as well, so that every country can protect its people and achieve health equity.”
Ramaphosa said the summit reflected the shared commitment to invest in universal health coverage, social protection, and resilient health systems.
He added:
It is up to us in the end to demonstrate that solidarity, as well as collective action, can prevail over division. It has been an honour and a privilege for me to co-host the summit over the past year alongside the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Starmer said this was the first time partners from the Global North and South had co-chaired the Global Fund.
“In today’s volatile world, we must prioritise spending that makes a genuine difference and supports both growth at home and globally,” he added.
“That is why we will continue to support the Global Fund, whose work is at the cutting edge of fighting the world’s deadliest diseases. It is an investment in economic growth and stability, and a prime example of our modern approach to development.”
South Africa’s G20 presidency has largely zoomed in on health for developing nations, with special attention given to vaccine sovereignty.
German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil said the G20 had proven its merit over and again as a format where most urgent global challenges of our time could be discussed worldwide.
“We are currently facing many challenges as the world is undergoing tremendous changes and realignments,” he added.
“The global economy, finance, security, energy, of course. These are all highly critical issues, but for the human population, and what ultimately matters most is health and well-being.
“The Global Fund is an excellent example of the power of multilateralism at a time when health budgets are increasingly under pressure and international commitments are shrinking. It’s more important than ever to join forces and increase efficiencies. Germany is a leading player in development financing and will remain a reliable partner.”
