AGYW

ABSTRACT School closures as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 has not only deprived young people of learning opportunities but has had other negative consequences for them as well. A surge in teenage pregnancies has been attributed to school closures and lockdowns during the COVID-19 crisis that left girls vulnerable to social situations conducive to sexual violence and abuse (including rape by close family members). This indicates that the gains made in the fight against HIV, and sexual and reproductive health services are being eroded. Governments need to include sexual and reproductive health services in their COVID-19 response plans, ensure that young people have access to these services, and consider the safe reopening of schools.

ABSTRACT With the world’s largest HIV epidemic, and one third of all new HIV infections in the country affecting adolescent girls and young women, South Africa faces a monumental challenge in addressing prevention for the youth population. With the biggest Global Fund investment so far in a program focused on adolescent girls and young women, South Africa will take this on, targeting not only youth but also their sexual partners, caregivers and communities.

ABSTRACT Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest prevalence rates of HIV globally, and dedicated on average 4.6% of their Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants for prevention among adolescents and youth for the 2018-2021 implementation period. This proportion is small considering the disproportionate toll HIV takes among adolescents and youth; while they represent 20.2% of the total population in the two regions, they contributed 36.3% to new HIV infections in 2017.

ABSTRACT The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland was the occasion for the announcement of several partnerships involving the Global Fund. The announcements included the launch of the HER (HIV Epidemic Response) initiative; a partnership between (RED) and Africans for Africa; and partnerships between the Global Fund and three global private companies. The partnership with one of these companies provoked a reaction from organizations concerned with the effects of alcohol on public health.

ABSTRACT The Technical Review Panel says the proposed programs in Zambia’s TB/HIV funding request will reduce gender- and age-related disparities and close the gaps in service delivery for key populations. The TRP had some concerns, but they were well addressed during grant-making.

ABSTRACT Mozambique’s new TB/HIV grants will have a strong focus on retention and adherence for people who were recently initiated on antiretroviral treatment. According to the Technical Review Panel, civil society, including representatives of key populations, were fully engaged in the development of the funding request. Among the concerns raised by the TRP was that the interventions to improve treatment outcomes for multiple-drug-resistant TB were not clearly articulated. In addition, the TRP sent two matching funds requests back for iteration.

ABSTRACT Work to implement the third objective of the Global Fund Strategy 2017-2022 – Promote and protect human rights and gender equality – is progressing well, although there have been what the Fund calls “minor issues and delays.” These issues can be attributed in part to a lack of resources and insufficient internal capacity on human rights issues.

ABSTRACT We describe, In brief, a new debt swap donation from Spain; the latest PEPFAR results; sales in 2017 by Apple’s (RED) products; the World Malaria Report 2017; delays in the $9.5 billion USAID global health supply chain project; and an expansion of the Global Gag Rule.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund is providing $500,000 to support the HER Voice Fund, a new initiative designed to bolster meaningful engagement of adolescent girls and young women groups and networks in Global Fund–related processes and in national processes in 13 focus countries. The HER Voice Fund will be administered by SHRH Africa Trust (SAT) and Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service Organizations (EANNASO).

ABSTRACT [By Gemma Oberth] This year, I wrote three Global Fund funding requests for African HIV and TB programs. Being that immersed in country-level processes evokes all kinds of thoughts and reflections. In this commentary, I share my views on the different proposal development processes, the value-added of technical assistance, the role of the Global Fund country teams and changes to the application materials. I also suggest that there is a dire need for user-friendly tools to assist countries with optimizing their budget allocations.