LONDON, Sept 6 (AFP) - A campaign to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria fell 3.4 billion dollars short of its goal of raising 7.1 billion dollars during a donors conference in London chaired by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
"I see this as a substantial step in the right direction but that funding gap... has got to be filled," Richard Feachem, the director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, told a press conference.
The Geneva-based Global Fund said it had sought to raise 7.1 billion dollars (5.7 billion euros) but only received 3.7 billion dollars in pledges at the meeting in London.
"The pledges made here today will go a long way towards ensuring the longer-term sustainability of the Global Fund," Annan said in a written statement.
The amount committed by international donors could pay for existing projects but "hardly leaves any room for new grants," said Doctor Peter Piot, executive director of the UN Programme on HIV/AIDS.
At the meeting, France pledged 640 million dollars (525 million euros) for 2006-2007, the United States 600 million dollars, Japan 500 million dollars and Britain 200 million dollars.
But fund officials expressed hope that the European Union would pledge more funds after a budget approval process, and the US Congress would vote through 300 million dollars more later this year for the programme.
"I look forward to the day when I won't have to go round with my begging bowl," said Feachem, pointing out that stable financing was vital for patients receiving treatment.
A new airline ticket tax proposed by France and an international financing mechanism put forward by Britain would help secure long-term, sustainable finance, he added.
"The funding gap will definitely have a devastating effect in the communities I represent," said Anandi Yuvaraj, a Global Fund board member who lobbies for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The contribution from the United States fell far short of that country's promise to provide a third of funding Yuvaraj said, adding that other developed countries such as Australia should also provide more.
"We have a long way yet to go and we have to keep up the pressure if we are to vanquish these three terrible diseases," said British Development Secretary Hilary Benn.
Tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria kill six million people every year, Benn said as a small group of protesters waved banners outside the conference saying that an estimated 35,616 people had died from the three diseases during the meeting.
The Global Fund, which was set up in 2002, has so far committed 3.7 billion dollars to over 300 programmes against the diseases in 127 countries, fund officials said.
Fund grants have supported HIV/AIDS treatment for 220,000 people, tuberculosis treatment for 600,000 people and insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria to three million families.
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