Global AIDS fund wants more private donor money

OSLO, Mar 6 (Reuters) A global fund that combats AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria hopes to attract more money from private donors, fund officials said.

Launched in 2002 with the backing of then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has raised ten billion dollars but is looking to raise a further 15 billion dollars in 2008-2010.

So far about 96 per cent of the Fund's money has come from governments, including the G8 countries, but private sources, such as corporations, foundations and individuals, should provide more in the future, they said yesterday.

''We have a major effort under way to increase private financial contributions to the Global Fund and also private contributions of other kinds,'' the Fund's Executive Director Richard Feachem said at the start of a two-day donor meeting.

The Fund supports 450 programmes in 136 countries.

Feachem said it was also exploring avenues for private non-financial contributions, such as donations of goods and services.

One part of that is a ''Product Red'' campaign which allows consumers to give a fraction of their monthly mobile phone bill, a percentage of a special red American Express card bill or proceeds from goods such as a red Armani watch to the Fund.

He said it had raised over 20 million dollars and was growing fast.

Chairwoman Carol Jacobs said the Fund did not have a target for funding from private donors, but added: ''Between ten and 20 per cent -- I do not think would be unreasonable.'' By far the biggest private contribution so far is 650 million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, set up by the Microsoft founder, Feachem said.

About 250 million dollars of that pledge has been paid so far.

About 35 of the Fund's 50 donor governments were expected to attend the Oslo meeting, but pledges were not expected until a conference in Berlin in September.

Reuters BDP DB0911