Here is the global answer to “America first” in climate-health

The direct investment to Global Fund is in contrast to the recently released US government’s global health plan which sidelines big international programmes. The “America First” strategy will directly deal with each government in Africa unlike this which recognises the role of multilateral organisations.

These pledges were announced during the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment reception and come at a time when climate change is intensifying health challenges like rise in malaria, cholera, TB and other infectious diseases in Africa. 

The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation pledged $50 million for tuberculosis diagnostics, (RED) committed $75 million for AIDS, Goodbye Malaria renewed support with $5.5 million and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation pledged $5 million.

The Gates Foundation’s $912 million pledge was announced during the 2025 Goalkeepers event, marking its largest single commitment in recent years. The three-year pledge supports the Global Fund’s 2026-2028 replenishment, bringing the foundation’s total contributions since 2002 to $4.9 billion. It comes as the replenishment cycle ends this November, with governments urged to step up.

The foundation said the money will accelerate healthcare access through the rollout of malaria prevention tools, single-dose treatments, long-acting HIV drugs and maternal vaccines against respiratory illnesses. It also supports artificial intelligence for cheaper, safer medicine delivery. Each dollar invested in the Global Fund delivers an estimated $19 in health and economic returns. The investment will strengthen climate health security and save millions of lives.

(RED) committed $75 million to the Fund, bringing the nearly 20 year partnership to over $800 million generated to fight infectious diseases and build stronger health systems. According to the Global Fund, (RED)’s partnership has helped expand access to lifesaving programs for over 325 million people in Africa, especially those living with AIDS.

Climate change is worsening health pressures for people with HIV. It is compounding risks like food shortages, floods and heatwaves that disrupt care and increases vulnerability status for its spread. The World Health Organization calls it “a threat multiplier, undermining and potentially reversing decades of health progress.” Shifting climates trains already fragile immune systems and health services across Africa.

The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) pledged $50 million to accelerate the introduction and rollout of innovative TB diagnostics. Climate change worsens TB spread and impact by displacing populations into overcrowded conditions and increasing food and water insecurity that weakens immune systems. WHO is currently developing a framework to better understand and address the complex interlinkages between TB and climate change.

Goodbye Malaria gave a $5.5 million commitment to help eliminate malaria in Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa. Shifting temperature and rainfall patterns are expanding and altering malaria risk zones, which will continue to affect vulnerable populations, especially children under five. According to a climate impact model developed by Boston Consulting Group and the Malaria Atlas Project to predict impact on malaria deaths by the year 2049, climate change is expected to cause 554,000 more malaria deaths.

The Johnson & Johnson Foundation announced a $5 million pledge to the Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund (AFF-CF), under the Global Fund, to accelerate the scale-up of professionalised community health workers across Africa. Community health workers (CHWs) are key to tackling climate-related health challenges in Africa. They act as the first point of contact in vulnerable communities. They can also play a role in promoting resilience through education and providing essential services during extreme weather events or even collect data for early climate-health warning systems.

While contributions to global health indirectly fund climate-health, there is still a big funding gap in climate resilient health systems. This is according to a recently released Resourcing Climate and Health Priorities report by WHO and partners.

Currently, only 0.5% of international climate funds are allocated to health. This greatly affects Africa which is already dealing with disease surges as a result of climate change.