Overview
- The government confirmed a £850 million commitment for 2026–2028, a 15% drop from the £1 billion pledged in 2022 and down from £1.4 billion in 2019.
- International development minister Jenny Chapman said the decision follows a policy to reduce development assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income to finance defence.
- Charities and health experts warn the cut could put roughly 250,000 lives at risk and force life-or-death prioritisation across HIV, TB and malaria programmes.
- The pledge comes days before the 21 November replenishment event the UK is co-hosting with South Africa, where the Global Fund aims to raise $18 billion to save an estimated 23 million lives in 2027–2029.
- Officials argue the Global Fund will receive a larger share of a shrinking health aid budget, signaling deeper losses for other recipients including services for women and girls.