Japan’s sharp reduction in funding for a leading international body fighting infectious diseases risks damaging Tokyo’s credibility and long-held “peace diplomacy”, in a move analysts say could give China an opening to expand its influence across developing nations.
The Switzerland-based Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, established in 2002, has saved an estimated 70 million lives in more than 100 countries by boosting testing capacity, surveillance systems, community networks and medical training.
At a meeting in Johannesburg last month, Japan pledged “up to” 81 billion yen (US$520 million) in contributions over the three years from 2026, stressing that “cooperation with the international community is essential” to prevent and respond to global health crises.
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“Global health is not only directly related to people’s health, but is also a critical issue for the international community, including Japan, as it poses major economic, social and security risks,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “It is therefore important for Japan’s health and medical security.”
Yet the Japan Centre for International Exchange, which runs the Global Fund’s national committee, said the figure represented a cut of more than 52 per cent compared with a previous pledge by prime minister Fumio Kishida’s government in 2022.
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“The sudden announcement of a significantly larger reduction in contributions compared with other countries will undermine Japan’s long-standing credibility in the field of international cooperation,” the group said in a statement, noting that the move came amid a backdrop of strains on government finances and a weak yen.