Gates donates $750m, but Global Fund still needs more backers

Supporters of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria are making a renewed call for financial support, to supplement Microsoft founder Bill Gates’s donation of $750m (£480m; €570m).

Mr Gates made his pledge alongside that of Naoto Kan, the former Japanese prime minister, who confirmed that his country, despite last year’s earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, would still donate the $800m it had already promised.

In November the fund announced it would have to suspend its 11th funding round after donor countries scaled back their contributions because of the financial crisis (BMJ 2011;343:d7755, doi:10.1136/bmj.d7755). The fund’s minimum target was $13bn, but only $11.7bn was pledged.

An emergency conference of donors, hosted by the United States and to be held in July, has been called for by Joanne Carter, a …