Goal: save 16 million lives and avert 234 million infections worldwide. The Sixth "Replenishment of Resources" Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which is being held on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 October in Lyon, hopes to raise 14 billion dollars (12.8 billion dollars). euros) to eradicate the three epidemics by 2030.

"We need, in Lyon, 14 billion dollars," said Emmanuel Macron two weeks ago, at the UN General Assembly, stressing that "no one can understand that for financial reasons (... ) it is now impossible to access treatments to prevent or cure such diseases ".

France, one of the founders of the Fund, has applied to organize this meeting that will bring together 700 participants, including ten heads of state and government, mainly African, but also the billionaire Bill Gates, first private contributor to the through its foundation, and singer Bono, co-founder of the RED association.

The amount was set in January by the Global Fund. But in the corridors of the Palais des Congrès de Lyon, he tells himself that this sum will be difficult to achieve. There are two reasons for this: the cause of AIDS may seem less urgent than it was a few years ago and a lot of funding is being mobilized for the environmental cause, like the Green Climate Fund, which is seen as more politically promising.

$ 12.2 billion in 2016

Yet it is considered insufficient by many NGOs that rely on the estimate of independent experts, calculating that it would take $ 16.8 billion to 18 billion dollars to achieve it.

"In the current context, any significant increase beyond the $ 12.2 billion" raised three years ago at the last Global Fund refinancing conference "will be considered a success," he said. we at the Élysée.

Fifteen donor countries have already announced their contribution, ensuring three quarters of the final amount. The United States will maintain its rank of first donor with a contribution of $ 4.68 billion voted by the Congress, which remains to be formalized. An amount up 9% compared to 2016.

The UK, the second largest contributor for the 2016-2019 period, announced an amount of 1.44 billion pounds (about $ 1.7 billion), up nearly 20%, while Germany, which ranks fourth, will bring 1 billion euros (about 1.1 billion dollars), an increase of 18%.

All eyes are now turned to France, the second largest donor that has not increased its contribution since 2010 (1.08 billion euros). If the Elysee judges "quite desirable" that the share of the private increases (7% of the total today), it ensures that "France will live up to its status as second historical contributor", leaving Emmanuel Macron the premiere of his announcement Thursday.

NGO appeal to France

200 NGOs last week signed a forum in Le Monde calling on France to increase its contribution by "at least 25%". "But to reach the target of 14 billion and that France finds its place as a European leader, it would require a 45% increase," said Enzo Poultreniez, manager at Aides, referring to the "miscalculation" of those who "balk at investing ".

While the annual HIV treatment now costs "less than $ 100 a year," the 40% of HIV-positive people who do not have access "are driving the epidemic," he argues.

"A relaxation of international funding would provoke a resurgence of epidemics and the response to regain control would be even more expensive," said Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, HIV co-discoverer and president of Sidaction.

With AFP