co -financing

ABSTRACT African Ministers of Health and Finance or their representatives from regions in central, North, and West Africa met virtually during November in a series of conferences organized by the African Union. They emphasized the importance of increased domestic financing for health and improved efficiency in using available funds from domestic and donor sources. They also acknowledged the importance of leadership and financial protection for vulnerable populations. Representatives of partner organizations like the Global Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation participated in the meetings as well.

ABSTRACT There have been several developments in global health relating to the Global Fund in recent weeks. The World Health Organization released the World Malaria Report 2020, which reiterates that countries have collectively made progress in the last two decades, although this progress has slowed in recent years. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS also released the World AIDS Day report, which introduces new AIDS targets for 2025. This article also reports on a joint investment by the Global Fund, World Bank and the Government of Australia to support universal health coverage in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund has recently informed Cameroon of its decision to de-commit €10 million from its 2017–2019 allocation for failing to meet co-financing commitments. It has also published its 31st edition of the COVID-19 Situation Report, which details the effect of COVID-19 on the malaria response.

ABSTRACT African Ministers of Health and Finance met to discuss increased domestic financing for health and improved efficiency in using available funds from domestic and donor sources.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund has acted promptly to fight COVID-19, and this is commendable. But important questions remain on the source of the funds, the usefulness of previous investments in health systems, and how to uphold the Global Fund’s commitment to safeguarding human rights and gender equality.

ABSTRACT Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands called for increased domestic investments to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria during the recently concluded 20th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) held in Kigali, Rwanda. The call comes after a successful replenishment in which the Global Fund raised $14 billion for its 2020-2022 funding cycle, and on the cusp of the Fund’s December announcement of country allocations. Sands urged countries to raise additional domestic resources, and to spend enough of these resources on health, particularly on the right programs and for populations that are most in need.

ABSTRACT The Democratic Republic of Congo has to prove that the country has fulfilled its co-financing commitment, the Global Fund says. Otherwise, the country risks losing up to $80 million in grant funding, representing 15% of the value of its grants. DRC is currently facing an Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 2000 people in the last 12 months.

ABSTRACT Zimbabwe has recently undertaken reforms to reduce the ‘dollarization’ of its economy, and has just outlawed the use of any foreign currency. The change in monetary policy has negatively affected Global Fund grants, causing delays in aspects of grant implementation, increasing grants’ transaction costs, prompting accountability challenges, lowering healthcare worker morale, and reducing the state’s ability to procure ARVs.

ABSTRACT In May, the Global Fund Board approved five new country grants in four countries: Gabon, Georgia, Peru and Serbia. The Board also approved two multi-country grants and 18 sets of interventions from the Register of Unfunded Quality Demand.

ABSTRACT At the Global Fund’s Pre-Replenishment meeting in New Delhi, in February 2019, the India Health Fund launched the nationwide ‘Quest for Innovations towards Eliminating Tuberculosis', in partnership with the Global Fund, Tata Trusts, and India’s national TB program, among others. The fund, launched in 2016, was designed to stimulate and motivate domestic innovative financing in order to fund innovations in TB and malaria programming. Its work to create a “pipeline of innovations” currently focuses on ten projects, involving diagnostics, adherence, increasing case notifications, and open source drug development, among others.