Kigali, 3 May 2017
President Kagame today addressed the 37th Global Fund Board Meeting, the first of its kind to take place in Rwanda, bringing together more than 250 stakeholders from all corners of the world.
President Kagame, in his address commended the activities of The Global Fund for their valuable contribution to the health of Rwandans and Africans.
“Although more needs to be done, the results are encouraging. It is fair to say that the Global Fund is possibly the most consequential and effective development partnership in history. The Fund was itself an innovation, a fundamentally new way of doing business. The scaling up of the Global Fund and Rwanda’s biggest health gains take place at roughly the same time. More Rwandans than ever are receiving antiretroviral treatment. Mortality from tuberculosis and malaria has decreased significantly. The Global Fund has been a valuable partner, alongside PEPFAR and other mechanisms in our effort to transform lives of Rwandans. This progress could only have been achieved in a coherent, integrated, sustainable health system.”
President Kagame said that by strengthening national health systems rather than circumventing them, The Global Fund has had wider impact on health outcomes:
“I would also like to commend the Global Fund’s efforts to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability. The task of sustaining the Global Fund requires constant attention and above all continuing to deliver good results. These commitments will help save countless lives around the world. If the philosophy behind the GF track record could be applied to other global problems, our world would be a better place. Coming together so strongly to tackle major health threats shows we also have the means to address other global challenges. It is quite easy to waste billions of dollars by continuing to spend money whether there are results to show for it or not. ”
President Kagame pointed out that The Global Fund had the spirit to do the right thing and the flexibility do it well and concluded by urging everyone not to take this for granted.