community

ABSTRACT From February 2016 to March 2017, the Global Fund is embarking on a Strategic Actions for Gender Equality Initiative. The initiative will lay the foundation for the Fund’s enhanced focus on gender equality in its 2017-2022 strategy.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund relies extensively on international non-government organisations as Principal Recipients in the West and Central Africa constituency regions. In the current 2021-2023 implementation cycle, the INGOs manage 37% of the grants in West Africa and 47% in Central Africa, making them essential to grant implementation. It is unclear whether this dominance represents value for money and sustainability

ABSTRACT The Global Fund Secretariat published six requests for proposals to select technical assistance providers for its Community, Rights, and Gender program for the next three years.

ABSTRACT An external evaluation of the Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Strategic Initiative of the Global Fund has shown that the initiative has bolstered the engagement of civil society and communities in in-country Global Fund processes across the three diseases. The Strategic Initiative has made more gains with the same funding envelope of $15 million than its predecessor, the CRG Special Initiative, which ran from 2014 to 2016.

ABSTRACT The sixth annual report on Community, Rights and Gender to the Global Fund Board was finalized before the Global Fund’s latest set of COVID-19 related measures and guidance notes were published. This report, presented to the Board’s 43rd meeting, asks for the Board’s input regarding COVID-19, and presents a snapshot of what the Fund has achieved in the areas of human rights, community-, and gender-related barriers to access. One highlighted issue is the need for a stronger differentiation between community-based and community-led responses to issues relating to key populations.

ABSTRACT A joint case study from the six Regional Platforms examines four key questions emerging out of the Global Fund's $15-million, three-year catalytic investment in the Community, Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative (CRG SI). The CRG SI was designed to ensure that all people affected by the three diseases that are the focus of the Global Fund's investments are able to play a meaningful role in the Fund's process. The case study asks how forums supported by the CRG SI have facilitated meaningful connections, how they have contributed to the Global Fund's strategic objectives, how they have added value, and how they might evolve in the future.

ABSTRACT A new report from ICASO published on January 8, 2019, highlights improvements in Malawi’s Global Fund program during the 2017-2019 funding cycle. The authors summarize the report’s findings for the GFO. The total funding requested for key and vulnerable populations rose dramatically, and service packages for these groups were defined in greater detail. According to the report, a broad and systematic community engagement process contributed to these positive changes. However, community monitoring initiatives are direly needed to ensure greater accountability during grant implementation.

ABSTRACT The six Regional Platforms for Communication and Coordination form a key part of the Global Fund’s work to strengthen community engagement in all of its processes, as part of the Community, Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative. Almost one year after the Platforms’ relaunched, in a follow up to our introduction of the Platforms in November 2017, we highlight some of the work they have produced and results achieved so far.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund’s six regional Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) platforms came together at the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) to host the Global Fund Community Zone in the Global Village. The networking zone provided space for AIDS 2018 participants in Amsterdam to connect with each of the regional platforms, learn about key areas of work under the Global Fund CRG Strategic Initiative, engage with community partners that receive support from the Global Fund and discuss relevant issues to civil society and community groups. The Community Zone also hosted a townhall meeting with Executive Director Peter Sands.

ABSTRACT The “mandate” of the Regional Platforms for Communication and Coordination has been renewed under the Communication, Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative, the successor program to the Special Initiative that was in place from 2014 to 2016. Five of the six regional platforms will be hosted by the same organizations as previously. The platforms will support communities to access technical assistance and to engage in all aspects of grant processes.