Global Fund eyes more cooperation in war on disease

The Global Fund, a Genevabased financial association that supports the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, said in Beijing recently that there is significant potential to further cooperate with Chinese pharmaceutical companies.

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund provides about $4 billion in funds every year, with 95 percent of the funds coming from governments and the rest coming from the private sector. The agency said it is continuing to strengthen its cooperation with the private sector.

In 2013 and 2014, the fund invested $800 million in China, one of the founding partners of the agency, to help control those diseases, and it has helped reduce by 30 percent the incidence of the diseases on average, according to the Global Fund.

“China has been a net donor country to the Global Fund, and it has donated and promised to donate $63 million,” said Christopher Benn, director of external relations at the Global Fund.

“We are also working closely with Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers, and every year, we purchase medicines that are worth $90 million from Chinese producers. We believe that we can grow this partnership much further, and together achieve the goal of fighting against malignant diseases.”

The Global Fund said China has been providing high-quality health products at inexpensive prices, including reagents, medicines and mosquito nets, and a large number of them have been sent to Africa and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Benn added that Chinese enterprises are competitive in terms of quality, price, safety and the sustainability of supply, and most main producers have met its supplying standards. For instance, Shanghaibased Fosun Pharmaceutical Group has been a major provider of the medicines to treat malaria.

“We hope that more Chinese pharmaceutical companies can participate in the bidding to become our suppliers, and establish long-term cooperation relationships with us to provide timely and long-term supply of medicines,” he said.

Zhou Hui, head of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, said: “As the most internationalized industry association of China’s pharmaceutical sector, we will help to raise the accessibility of medical and health products in those underdeveloped countries.

“We also plan to strengthen our cooperation with the Global Fund, and help to push forward the joint work between China’s pharmaceutical and hygienic suppliers and the overseas markets.”