Washington ? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said Wednesday it will give $500 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next five years.

The contribution is by far the largest from a nongovernment source since the Global Fund was created in 2002.

“This very sizable and greatly appreciated additional commitment will help save millions of lives around the world. It is a very strong vote of confidence in the Global Fund,” said the organization’s director, Richard Feachem.

Based in Geneva, the fund provides financial support for programs in the developing world to prevent or treat the three named diseases. It is a key institution in the effort to bring optimal HIV/AIDS care to poor countries, and currently helps underwrite antiretroviral therapy for about 550,000 people.