Last week, the Global Fund held its 42nd Board meeting, bringing together all donors, implementers and partners for a week of critical conversations around how the Fund plans to mobilize its resources to step up the fight AIDS, TB and malaria.
The Board extended thanks to all constituencies for their contribution to the successful Sixth Replenishment, which resulted in pledges of over USD 14 billion for the next three years, including more than USD 1 billion of funds from the private sector. At the meeting, Private Sector Delegation Board Member Sherwin Charles and Alternate Board Member Paul Schaper joined other Board Members in expressing appreciation for the collective efforts that led to such a strong mobilization of resources, calling it a compelling affirmation of commitment toward achieving greater social justice all over the world.
Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands kicked off the Board meeting with the presentation of his bi-annual report, which focused on how the monumental Replenishment will be used to fight the three diseases by 2030 and achieve SDG 3.
“Donors have responded magnificently to our challenge to step up the fight,” said Sands. “We must now convert those funds into a step change in lives saved, a sharp acceleration in progress toward ending the epidemics, and turbocharged progress toward SDG3.”
The Board approved four important decisions at its meeting, including:
- the translation of pledges into the amount of funding that will be allocated to countries for the 2020-2022 period;
- the Global Fund’s operating expenditure for 2020;
- the Board’s internal committee selection process;
- And the expansion of the wambo.org pilot to include non-Global Fund financed orders, allowing governments and non-government development organizations in Global Fund-eligible and transitioned countries to have access to all products, services and functionalities through the platform.
Of note, the sources of funds for country allocations for the next three years will be USD 13 billion and includes certain catalytic investments that aim to further enhance priority areas. Countries will be informed of their allocations in December 2019.
The Board capped off its meeting with a presentation from Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who provided personal reflections on how the Global Fund can best place itself within the wider global health agenda to achieve SDG 3. He stressed the importance of focusing on measurable outcomes, prioritizing people-centered services, human rights and a commitment to social justice, and preserving a passion for saving lives.
A full list of Board decisions can be found here.
The Private Sector Delegation (PSD) is a group of companies that brings the business voice to the Global Fund and helps shape the strategy of the leading funding agency in global health. GBCHealth serves the role of Focal Point, providing an entry-point for private sector collaboration with the Global Fund and overseeing, managing and coordinating the PSD. In this role, GBCHealth works with over 20 committed businesses who bring their expertise, assets and networks to the Global Fund. Learn more about GBCHealth’s work with the Global Fund at this link.