The European Union has pledged additional funds for the global fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
EU President Donald Tosk said in the southwestern French resort of Biarritz on Saturday that the bloc plans to increase the European allocation to the Global Fund to Fight Infectious Diseases by another 550 million euros.
Tusk explained that this amount exceeds the € 475 million pledged by the European Union in its budget for the period of time 2019-2019.
The three diseases are among the world´s deadliest infectious diseases, killing about 3 million people annually.
The UN data show that 1.6 million people died in 2017 from tuberculosis alone, and about 940 thousand people died from AIDS.
Founded in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight Infectious Diseases provides funding for preventive measures and treatment.
By 2023, the Fund aims to prevent an estimated 234 million new infections and save 16 million lives.
Tusk also promised to provide 85 million euros to support a French project to boost the role of women in Africa, and to provide the first million euros for an initiative by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Mourad and Denis Mukiji to be presented at the Group of Seven summit in Biarritz on Sunday.
The initiative aims to support survivors of crimes of sexual violence in conflict zones.
