Policy Updates

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion) to the Global Fund on November 11, 2025, ahead of the 8^th replenishment summit on November 21, 2025, representing a 15% reduction from the UK's previous GBP1 billion (US$1.3 billion) pledge in 2022.

The UK will co-host the Global Fund's 8^th replenishment summit with South Africa on November 21, 2025. The pledge marked the first time in Global Fund history that a host country reduced its contribution.

Chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion expressed disappointment with the GBP150 million (US$197 million) reduction. Champion stated that reducing the UK's commitment was short-sighted and risked undermining the UK's reputation as a global health leader. Champion noted that cuts of this scale would have real impact and result in avoidable harm, urging ministers to take seriously the commitments the UK makes to vulnerable populations.

On July 22, 2025, the UK's FCDO released a self-assessment which revealed that 2025-2026 health spending will be cut by nearly 46% to GBP527 million (US716 million), with significant impacts on women's health programs.

The reduction is part of a larger plan to decrease the UK's ODA budget from 0.5% of its GNI to just 0.3%. The assessment indicated spending reductions in Africa for women’s health, health systems, and emergency response.

CSOs expressed concern over the lack of detail on specific program cuts, including those for SRHR. An analysis by the Guttmacher Institute showed a 30% cut in family planning assistance could cause 1.1 million more unintended pregnancies. Further cuts are expected, potentially decreasing the aid budget by over GBP3 billion (US$4.1 billion) by 2028.

On July 22, 2025, the UK's FCDO published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2024 to 2025, which CSO Bond warns of a concerning outlook for communities most in need of assistance.

The document, which contains forward-looking budgets for the current financial year (2025-26) and reported figures for UK ODA spending for 2024-25, outlines the first reductions in a phased plan to lower the ODA budget to 0.3% of GNI by 2027. According to Bond's analysis, the FCDO’s programme ODA budget is set to fall from GBP9.3 billion (US$12.6 billion) in 2024/25 to GBP8.7 billion (US$11.8 billion) in 2025/26. It will decrease further to GBP6.8 billion (US$9.2 billion) in 2026/27 and GBP6.2 billion (US$8.4 billion) in 2027/28, a total decrease of over GBP3 billion (US$4.1 billion).

Bond's analysis highlights that the cuts will disproportionately affect the poorest countries. Bilateral assistance to Africa is being cut by 12% (GBP184 million or US$250 million) in the current financial year. Funding is also being reduced for several countries facing major humanitarian crises, including Ethiopia (25% reduction), South Sudan (23%), and Somalia (27%). Budgets for Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, both stated government priorities, are also seeing cuts of 18% and 21%, respectively. The FCDO has pointed to a GBP85 million (US$115 million) crisis reserve, but Bond questions why previous spending levels were not maintained given the scale of the crises.

Thematic funding is also facing significant reductions. Funding for health ill be cut by 46% (GBP448 million or US$603 million), and the budget for Education, Gender & Equality will be reduced by 42% (GBP206 million or US$278 million). Bond's equality impact assessment found that 11 of the 13 programs proposed for closure were focused on gender equality or disability inclusion, and that the cuts will likely have negative impact on children.

On January 6, 2025, the Royal College of Nursing conduted research stating that the UK cut health ODA to some of the world’s vulnerable countries at the same time as recruiting thousands of their nurses.

The Royal College of Nursing said Labour has a duty to fix the ODA cuts imposed by the previous government, and to work on increasing the UK’s domestic supply of nurses.

Between 2020 and 2023, direct UK ODA for health-related projects in “red list” countries – those with the most severe workforce shortages – fell by nearly 63%, from GBP484 million (US$684 million) to GBP181 million (US$234 million).

Spending on projects designed to strengthen the healthcare workforce in those countries fell by 83%, from GBP24 million (US$34 million) to GBP4 million (US$5 million).

At the same time, the number of nurses from these countries on the UK’s national register rose sharply. There were 11,386 registered in September 2020, and 32,543 in September 2024.

On December 11, 2024, the UK announced a new GBP5 million (US$6 million) program with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria to boost global efforts to end malaria epidemic, stimulate growth, protect women and girls, and renew the push to eliminate malaria by 2030.

The announcement followed the launch of the WHO’s World Malaria Report 2024, which outlined that malaria remains a serious global health challenge and saw an increase of cases in 2023.

The UK’s pledge will support the RBM Partnership to End Malaria as it works to galvanize global leaders in the fight against malaria. UK is slated to include tackling resistance to malaria treatments and supporting efforts to control malaria in Cameroon, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.

On December 2, 2024, the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care held a Health Dialogue, building on their MOU on healthcare cooperation signed in August 2023.

They reviewed the achievements of cooperation in R&D, shared public health best practices, and explored future cooperation.

The 2^nd South Korean Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Min-soo Park highlighted international solidarity and cooperation to address growing health inequalities, and emphasized the importance of international solidarity in addressing health inequalities. Park expressed hope that this inaugural Health Dialogue would foster new horizons in healthcare cooperation between the two countries and help to advance UHC.

On November 4, 2024, it was announced that the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office Sir Philip Barton will stand down in January 2025.

Sir Philip became permanent secretary in the department in 2020 but will leave his post short of the full five-year terms achieved by his two predecessors.

His departure means the government has yet another big civil service role to fill including the cabinet secretary, national security advisor, and UK ambassador in Washington.

On November 3, 2024, the UK Minister for the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty announced new support for Anguilla’s health and security infrastructure as he makes his first visit to the Overseas Territories this week.

The Minister will be opening Anguilla’s new emergency 911 control room, partly funded by the UK government, and a facility that will be vital asset in helping to improve public safety. He will also formally announce the UK government’s provision of two new ambulances to Anguilla, and a new boat for assisting with coastal search and rescue operations.

On October 31, 2024, South Korean Minister Kyu-hong Cho attended the 2024 G20 Health Ministers‘ Meeting and Joint Finance and Health Ministers‘ Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In discussions with representatives from various countries, Minister Cho explored ways to enhance equity in healthcare access and achieve UHC by building a sustainable and resilient global health system.

He emphasized the efficient use of resources for pandemic prevention, response, and preparedness and underscored the importance of a balanced review of the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of various health crisis financing options.

The Health Ministers' Meeting joint declaration, the first in three years, will be an outcome of the upcoming G20 Summit and a significant milestone for future international health meetings and negotiations.