WITH Zimbabwe’s Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) approving the proposed budget outline, the country should submit its proposal for the Global Fund grant by March 23, 2020, HealthTimes has learned.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
In an update for the country concept note development for the Global Fund To Fight TB, HIV and Malaria Grant 2021 to 2023 seen by this publication, the final draft should be undergoing review starting March.
The writing exercise is on-going, with the country expected to submit the proposal on the 23rd March 2020, with the first and final draft being available for review by 2 and 21 March respectively. ZAN shall continue to collaborate with partners to review all the inputs and process as an on-going exercise.
“In the meanwhile, ZAN shall be exploring new strategies to amplify Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) calls for increased domestic financing for health,” read the note prepared by Zimbabwe Aids Network (ZAN).
In the note, Treatment, care and support was allocated 62.2% (USD$293 million)of the total grant, with just a little over half (52%) of it supporting availability of medicines.
Prevention covering key and vulnerable populations including AGYW intervention got USD$31 million (6.6%) of the entire grant allocation
Resilient Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) which includes an array of components such Human Resources for Health will get USD$63million (13.4%) of the grant.
“Within this module, Community Systems Strengthening (CSS) which covers areas of interest for CSOs and communities’ will get at least 0.8% (USD$1.5million dollars) of the allocation,” said ZAN.
ZAN commended the balancing act done by the writing team considering the USD500 million GF grant.
“There remains major funding gaps across all modules with the biggest being Treatment, care and support at USD$ 420million accounting for a little over 50% of the total national funding gap. Comparatively, Community Systems Strengthening (CSS) allocation increased by 150% to a modest USD$1.5 million, nonetheless leaving a mammoth funding gap of USD$21million; Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) increased by little over 200%, whilst HIV Testing Services (HTS) dropped from USD$24.5million in the current grant to USD$16mIllion. There are also marginal gains for the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) and Condom programming which were allocated USD$500000 and USD$2million respectively from nil allocations in the current grant,” said the mother body for health CSOs.
Nonetheless, ZAN says, the combined finding gap for VMMC and Condom programming, “a is staggering USD$12.7 million.”
A team from the Global Fund To Fight Aids TB and Malaria was in Zimbabwe from Geneva, Switzerland guiding the country in putting up proposals for the allocated sixth replenishment grant of USD500 million.
