President Cyril Ramaphosa has stressed the importance of international organisation the Global Fund, noting that it is vital to building strong African health care systems.

The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of Aids, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria as epidemics and mobilises and invests more than $4-billion a year to support programmes run by local experts in more than 100 countries.

The organisation raises funds in multiyear cycles known as Replenishments and the seventh Global Fund Replenishment is expected to be hosted by US President Joe Biden later this year.

The fund has raised at least $53-billion in the past 20 years and aims to raise at least $18-billion in this year’s Replenishment.

Ramaphosa encouraged global leaders to show support for the seventh replenishment of the fund.

“Global solidarity needs to be strengthened as we seek to build health systems on the African continent. The Global Fund is a vital part of building the resilience of African health systems, not only so that they can win the fight against HIV, TB and malmaria, but also to secure the health and well-being of all Africans," he said.

He noted that South Africa had benefited from the fund in its fight against HIV/Aids and TB through antiretroviral medicines and others.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to the Global Fund as a strategic partner for the support provided to our country for the success we have recorded,” Ramaphosa said.

He warned that while strides had been made to curb infections, the country still had the highest number of HIV and TB infections, promising that government would increase its efforts to fight the two diseases.

According to Ramaphosa, at least eight-million people are living with HIV in the country and South Africa accounts for at least 3% of global TB cases.

“While we have made great progress in tackling HIV and TB – focusing on prevention, testing and treatment – we have fallen behind in reaching our 90/90/90 treatment targets. We will be focusing and quickening our pace to meet the 2025 treatment targets,” he said.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic had proven that governments across the world needed to sharpen the ability to respond expeditiously to future pandemics and outbreaks

“We need to have necessary resources readily available for testing and treatment, and the ability to quickly distribute appropriate diagnostics, medications and vaccines,” Ramaphosa said.