President William Ruto's government pledged to donate Ksh1.2 billion (USD10 million) to the Global Kitty Fund.
On Thursday, September 22, the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced its financial commitment to the international kitty during the 7th Replenishment Conference in New York.
MoH Principal Secretary Susan Mochache attended the convention that saw Kenya step up its last donation. The funds will be remitted to the organisation in the course of the next three years.
"Kenya has pledged Ksh1.2 billion (USD10 million) to Global Fund kitty during the 7th Replenishment Conference - a 66 per cent increase on the Ksh723 million (USD6 million) pledge made in 2019," the statement read in part.
Kenya's financial guarantee and that of other countries enabled the Global Fund to attain a new record in pledges with Ksh1.7 trillion (USD14.25 billion). Executive Director Peter Sands, declared that the funds will be used in tackling diseases across the world.
"This support aims to save 20 million lives, avert 450 million new infections, and bring new hope for ending AIDS, TB, and malaria. It will further strengthen health and community systems to leave no one behind and be resilient to future shocks," Sands reiterated.
Rwanda, a co-host of the meeting, promised to give Ksh392 million while the host, America, through President Joe Biden, vowed to float in Ksh723 billion.
The leading financial commitment by private entities was a joint donation by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and RED (an organization that partners with the world's most iconic brands to build stronger health systems that fight pandemics), which pledged Ksh18 billion (USD150 million).
Other donations include Canada (Ksh108 billion), the European Commission (Ksh85.1 billion), Germany (Ksh154 billion), Japan (Ksh130 billion) and France (Ksh190 billion).
The Global Fund 7th Meeting ran concurrently with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in which President William Ruto made a plea to world leaders to collectively address the deteriorating healthcare systems in the world.
"The Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted health systems, seriously challenging the implementation of programmes that are vital for the realisation of health-related sustainable development goals
"Collective action is particularly vital for building resilient health systems, whose importance in enabling us to withstand future pandemics and other health crises can no longer be disputed," President Ruto noted.
