FOCUS ON: Women and Girls

The Global Fund is focusing sharply on women and girls, making strategic investments to improve their health and supporting country-driven processes grounded in equity and inclusiveness.

Our commitment to women and girls has steadily increased in the past five years. In 2010, approximately 46 percent of programs were focused on women and girls; in 2015, approximately 55 to 60 percent of the Global Fund’s spending was directed to women and girls. That translates to investments of between US$15 billion and US$16 billion since 2002.

It is making a difference. Between 2005 and 2014, AIDS-related deaths among women aged 15 years and above declined 58 percent in 13 key African countries where the Global Fund invests, while declining 39 percent among men the same age. Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy coverage is becoming available to more women, and more women are staying on treatment. In many countries, rates of new HIV infections have been dropping faster among men than among women. However, experience in high-HIV burden countries in Africa with Global Fund-supported programs shows that the new infection rates are declining equally among women and men.