The UN-administered Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Friday welcomed long-term pledges by the world's richest countries, but said it needs $3 billion now. Following last week's Group of Eight summit, the fund received new promises of $1.2 billion between now and 2008, but only 23 percent of the fund's needs for 2003 and 2004 are covered, the fund said in a statement.

More than 200 proposals have been received from 85 countries for programs in health care, research or prevention, and at least half will likely be approved in November, but the fund says it has only $400 million left to pay for them. Many more proposals are expected for two further rounds of grants next year. The fund said it needs $3 billion to cover the rest of this year and next year.

The United States and France have led the way in making donations, said Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem. "In authorizing up to US$1 billion for its 2004 fiscal year, President Bush and the US Congress challenged other donors to respond, and they have," Feachem said. French President Jacques Chirac "has led an effort for Europe to raise US$1 billion and called on public and private donors outside the United States and Europe to also raise US$1 billion." Since the G8 Summit, the European Union, Italy and Britain also have made new pledges.

To date, the Global Fund has approved $1.5 billion for projects in 93 countries. In Rwanda, people living with HIV/AIDS are starting to receive drugs paid for by the fund; Sri Lanka has bought 10,000 special bednets to protect people from malaria-carrying mosquitoes; and China has expanded tuberculosis treatment. Last month, a group of nongovernmental health groups started a "Fund the Fund" campaign to insist that rich countries meet the fund's needs.

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