HSS

ABSTRACT The French donor L’Initiative has just released its annual call for proposals in three thematic areas. Our article outlines these and explains to readers how they can be accessed.

ABSTRACT The DRC has experienced a virulent third wave of COVID-19 and is organizing its response through its Technical Secretariat which coordinates the operations carried out by the different bodies of the Ministry of Health. Dr Stéphane Mukendi Kalambaie is working with Professor Muyembe, the head of the response, and Professor Kayembe, Chair of the National Care Commission. He answers our questions on how the response is organized and gives us his vision on how the fight against epidemics can and should strengthen the health system.

ABSTRACT One of the four strategic objectives in The Global Fund’s Strategy 2017-2022 focuses on building resilient and sustainable systems for health. This article provides details and explains the context.

ABSTRACT Global Fund support needs to be tailored to individual country contexts, in terms of both what is funded and how grants are managed, says Reinhard Tittel-Gronefeld. This will require flexible approaches and some changes in the way the Fund operates.

ABSTRACT A database of community organizations in Burkina Faso was instrumental in developing that country’s concept note on health system strengthening. Using the database, organizational weaknesses were identified, particularly concerning the coordination of activities, But the process of creating the database was long and complex.

ABSTRACT In a position paper on health systems strengthening, the Technical Evaluation Reference Group has advanced a number of recommendations to enhance the impact of the Global Fund’s HSS investments. The Secretariat has been asked to prepare a workplan with timelines for implementing the recommendations.

ABSTRACT GIZ has extended to 31 December 2015 the deadline for applications for technical assistance in its three main program areas: country coordinating mechanisms, health systems strengthening, and grant management.

ABSTRACT South Africa on 15 July submitted a joint HIV/TB concept note for some $380.5 million in funding, more than half of which is to support prevention interventions specifically targeting key populations including young women and girls, men who have sex with men and people living in disease hot spots.

ABSTRACT Sixteen Eastern European and Central Asian countries (EECA) will submit a total of 25 concept notes to the Global Fund under the new funding model, to tap their share of the $659 million allocated to the region. Below is a wrap of the region's progress in submitting grant proposals.

ABSTRACT In an exhaustive consideration of the 91 concept notes submitted during windows 3 and 4, the Technical Review Panel flagged a number of concerns about both quality and content of the submissions from countries under the NFM. Identifying what they saw as a growing dependence on the Fund for financial resources to maintain their programs for AIDS, TB and malaria, the TRP advised countries that sometimes realistic was better than ambitious -- a decided deviation from the rhetoric from the Fund itself.