Increasing funding for integrated HIV and reproductive health work
27 March 2008
In February 2008, the Alliance shared its Global Fund proposal development experiences at a meeting that aimed to increase the inclusion of reproductive health in Global Fund Round 8 proposals for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
The Alliance is a member of a consortium of organisations working to support the integration of reproductive health with HIV in Round 8 proposals for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Building on its work in 2007, the Mobilising for Reproductive Health/HIV Integration initiative will support the development and submission of Global Fund HIV proposals that include a sexual and reproductive health component. The initiative will also carry out global level advocacy to support the approval of proposals.
The initiative was launched at a meeting in February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which highlighted opportunities for integration in Global Fund proposals; shared lessons on successful and unsuccessful proposals from previous rounds; and developed country proposal and global advocacy strategies. The meeting also highlighted other opportunities within Round 8, such as dual-track financing and community systems strengthening.
Participants included ten focus countries in sub-Saharan Africa (including civil society, national aids commissions, country coordinating mechanisms and affected communities), global and regional organisations and networks, donors, and representatives of the Global Fund. The Alliance supported the involvement of country teams from Burkina Faso and Madagascar in the meeting and was able to contribute its understanding of Global Fund processes and proposals.
The Global Fund strongly supports the integration of sexual and reproductive health with HIV1 – thanks in part to global level advocacy by the initiative. The meeting also highlighted national needs that will inform global advocacy efforts over the coming months.
The ten focus countries who plan to submit integrated proposals to the Global Fund are Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia. The initiative will provide them with technical assistance in proposal development, capacity building, and advocacy.
Fellow partners in the initiative are Population Action International, Friends of the Global Fund Africa, Global AIDS Alliance, Interact Worldwide, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
1. Page 62, Guidelines for proposals - Round 8 (Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria)