Labour MPs urge Starmer to reverse proposed cuts to global disease fund

A group of seven Labour MPs who previously served as ministers under Prime Minister Keir Starmer have written to him, warning that reducing the UK’s contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria would be a moral failure and a strategic disaster.

The UK government is expected to decide on its contribution to the Global Fund within days, amid reports of a possible 20% cut from £1 billion to £800 million for the 2027–2029 cycle.

The decision could coincide with next month’s G20 summit in South Africa, where Starmer is due to attend.

Aid organisations have warned that such a reduction could lead to 340,000 preventable deaths and reverse years of progress against the three diseases.

Since 2002, the Global Fund has helped save an estimated 70 million lives worldwide.

Former Africa minister Gareth Thomas, one of the signatories, said the cut would be devastating, arguing that millions of children and vulnerable populations could be at risk.

“We face a stark choice: stand firm and maintain our commitment or retreat from one of the world’s greatest health achievements,” he said.

The letter follows growing concern among Labour MPs about the government’s broader retreat from global health initiatives, including a 24% reduction in funding to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi).

Aid groups and MPs insist that maintaining the UK’s global health commitments is not only a moral obligation but also vital to global stability and Britain’s national security.

A Foreign Office spokesperson reaffirmed the UK’s “firm commitment to tackling global health challenges,” citing its role in saving 70 million lives through partnerships like the Global Fund.

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