Historical pillar of the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, France has just suddenly changed its position. In a few lines, a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked a turning point for the international financing of these three pandemics, still responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
The Quai d’Orsay evokes a “decline in French investments in the field of global health“, because “strong constraints currently weigh on our public finances“, indicated the ministry in a message to AFP. France will pay 660 million euros to the Global Fund over 2026-2028, or a billion less than in the previous period, when its commitment approached 1.6 billion. Enough to make the associations jump.
Historic drop in French donations to the Global Fund
Established in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria funds nearly three-quarters of the international fight against tuberculosis and about a third of global efforts against HIV/AIDS. Until now, France was the second largest contributor behind the United States, with around 1.6 billion euros pledged over the last three-year cycle.
With 660 million euros over 2026-2028, the French commitment therefore falls by almost 58 to 60%. Already, during the replenishment summit on November 21 in South Africa, Paris had not announced any amount, a first since the creation of the Fund. NGOs fear a lasting weakening of the central instrument in the fight against these diseases.
NGOs “revolted” by French cuts to global health
In a joint press release, AIDES, Sidaction, Solidarité Sida, Solthis, One, Zéro Palu and others speak of a historic shock. “We are revolted by this resignation of France vis-à-vis the sick, its international commitments and multilateral cooperation“, declares Camille Spire, president of AIDES. “France abandons and puts to death millions of people“, she adds.
For Florence Thune, general director of Sidaction, “Public development assistance has been drastically reduced in France and the Global Fund is paying more of the price. By cutting its contribution by 60% to the Global Fund, France is taking the worst cut of all G7 countries and deserting the global fight against pandemics and global health“, quoted by AIDES.
A government that defends itself, consequences still unclear
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs defends itself against any general withdrawal from global health, highlighting French contributions to other tools such as Unitaiddedicated to access to medicines, or Gavifocused on vaccines. Concerning the Global Fund, Paris ensures that the decline “must be assessed over the long term, in view of the strong historical commitment and particularly in recent years“The associations believe that this signal, sent when international aid is already declining and the United States has largely disengaged, could permanently weaken the global response to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.