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Global Fund allocates $234m to fight diseases in Ghana
Global Fund allocates $234m to fight diseases in Ghana

Global Fund allocates $234m to fight diseases in Ghana

The Global Fund has allocated $234 million to Ghana to enhance the fight against HIV/ AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2023 to 2025.

The grant is also to help the country build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Having received the allocation letter, the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Fund, chaired by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has launched the mandatory stakeholder dialogue series to solicit inputs nationwide for better delivery of the grant.

The Global Fund has a funding model that runs in three-year periods directly corresponding with its donor replenishment periods.

In each funding period, the Global Fund allocates donor funds to eligible countries.

Countries then apply for their funding after engaging in an inclusive stakeholder consultation at the country level.

After technical review and approval, countries implement their grants. Evaluation and oversight continue throughout the implementation to monitor progress and performance.

Launch

Launching the dialogue series in Accra yesterday, the Chair of the CCM, Mr Agyeman-Manu, in a speech read on his behalf, said in spite of gains made in the management of HIV/AIDs over 20 years, the country had seen a resurgence in the last couple of years making it critical to intensive interventions.

He said the country was faced with over 29,000 missed tuberculosis cases annually, which was also demanding critical attention and investment.

He said the country also had more to do to improve on progress made in the management of malaria.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said the Global Fund’s current support was to boost the country’s ability to deliver on the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis and malaria.

"United Nations Member Countries are charged to end AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 2030 and collaborations such as the are critical for countries to meet the goal," he said.

Recounting the relationship between the fund and the country, he said the fund was considered the brainchild of former Ghanaian UN Secretary-General, the late Dr Kofi Annan, who mooted the fund and got the buy-in of the global community in 2002.

He said Ghana was the first to receive an allocation and had since its inception benefited and contributed to the fund.

He said the country had received about a billion dollars from the fund for building better health systems since its inception.

Allocation letter

Providing the details of the allocation letter, the General Secretary for CCM of the Global Fund, Samuel Hackman, said per the letter, the allocation amounts for all countries had been determined according to a methodology approved by the Global Fund Board, primarily based on disease burden and income level.

He said the country was classified under a lower middle-income category.

He said for over 20 years, the Global Fund partnership had saved 50 million lives, yet the fight to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria was not over.

“Recent unprecedented health challenges had a devastating impact on the progress made. But together, we can get back on track to end the three diseases by 2030, build resilient and sustainable systems for health and strengthen pandemic preparedness, to make the world healthier and more equitable.

“To accelerate impact towards these goals, we must work together to ensure that the funding requests and grants for the new allocation period bring to life the vision of the new 2023-2028 Global Fund Strategy: Fighting Pandemics and Building a Healthier and More Equitable World,” he quoted from the letter.

WHO

In a speech read on his behalf, the World Health Organisation’s Country Representative, Dr Francis Kasolo, said the enhanced collaboration between the WHO and the Global Fund in support of Universal Health Coverage was built upon the long and successful history the two shared in working together in supporting countries to scale up HIV, Tuberculosis and malaria interventions.

“Inclusive and transparent country dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders, including key vulnerable populations is essential in ensuring effective programming and utilisation of the grant investment towards the attainment of TB, HIV and malaria-free Ghana by 2030,” he said.


Writer’s email: [email protected]

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