British Secretary of State for Development Justine Greening, along with Prime Minister David Cameron, “faces one of the most important decisions she will make as secretary of state: how much to allocate to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,” Adrian Lovett, Europe director of ONE, writes in the Huffington Post U.K.’s “Politics” blog. “Ministers have promised that the U.K.’s aid budget will be allocated with a ruthless focus on efficiency and results. By that measure, the Global Fund is one of the best possible ways to spend it,” he states, adding, “In any fight against infectious diseases there is a window of opportunity that must not be missed; that moment is now.”

Lovett outlines the positive impact a U.K. “contribution of at least £1 billion [$1.6 billion] over the next three years” could have in terms of treatment, prevention, and care, and he notes, “U.K. money will unlock more for the Global Fund from other countries.” He concludes, “Do we hold back, preserve the status quo with a modest contribution and increase the risk that these diseases rebound and spread again, wasting more than a decade of investment and putting lives on the line? Or do we seize this moment, be bold, back a proven success and help set a path to achieving what once seemed impossible — the defeat of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in our lifetime?” (9/17).