“President Obama pledged Monday to give up to $5 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years, saying that an ‘AIDS-free generation’ may be within reach,” the Washington Post reports (Cha, 12/2). “Obama made the announcement … at a White House event marking World AIDS Day, which was Sunday — and as health leaders and philanthropists gathered in Washington to determine how to replenish the major global health fund,” the Associated Press writes (Neergaard, 12/2). According to Reuters, “the president said the United States would contribute $1 for every $2 pledged by other donors over the next three years to support the [fund],” up to $5 billion (Felsenthal, 12/2). “Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke after President Obama and announced a major new contribution to the Global Fund, committing up to $500 million for the 2014-2016 period,” a Global Fund press release states (12/2). Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at a Global Fund partnership symposium on Tuesday, according to a separate Global Fund press release (12/2). The E.U. announced “new support of over $500 million,” the Delegation of the European Union to the United States writes in a press release (12/2). Canada increased its contribution “to $650 million over three years — up from $500 million,” the Globe and Mail reports (Galloway, 12/2). In two press releases, the Global Fund examines contributions from Japan as well as the private sector (12/2).

At the White House event, Obama “said he is steering $100 million to the [NIH] for research into a cure for HIV/AIDS, a prospect about which some scientists are increasingly optimistic, despite huge challenges,” the Wall Street Journal notes (McKay/Favole, 12/2). He also “signed legislation enacted last month to extend the 10-year-old [PEPFAR program], started by President Bush,” according to NPR’s “Shots” blog. “Obama boasted that PEPFAR has exceeded the goal — thought to be ambitious when he set it on World AIDS Day two years ago — of getting anti-HIV treatment to six million people in developing countries,” the blog notes (Knox, 12/2). “[W]e have helped 6.7 million people receive lifesaving treatment and we’re going to keep at it,” Obama said, according to the speech transcript (12/2). “Members of Congress and activists including Archbishop Desmond Tutu had called on the administration to commit to double the reach of [PEPFAR] over the next few years, but Obama made no such announcement on Monday,” Politico notes (Epstein, 12/2). “The president also said he first seeks to name a replacement for Ambassador Eric Goosby, who until October served as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator tasked with administering PEPFAR, before setting a new target for the program,” according to USA TODAY (Madhani, 12/2).

Additional coverage is available from Agence France-Presse, CNN’s “Political Ticker,” CQ HealthBeat, The Hill, New York Times, NBC News, United Press International, VOA News, and the Wall Street Journal.