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What is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria?

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created to dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases, and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need. The GFATM operates as a financial agent, not an implementing agency. Funding can be provided to governments, NGOs, and the private sector. The Global Fund lists its general principles as:

The purpose of the Global Fund is to attract, manage and disburse resources to fight AIDS, TB and malaria through local expertise that reflects national ownership and strategic planning.

How does the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria work?

The Global Fund provides grants to locally developed programs to prevent and treat AIDS, TB and malaria. Countries and organizations may apply for funding through Country Coordinating Mechanisms, which submit Global Fund proposals in ongoing funding rounds.

Country Coordinating Mechanisms are established at the national level to submit grant proposals and oversee funding implementation. CCMs consist of representatives from the public and private sectors, such as government, NGOs, multi- and bilateral agencies, academic institutions, private industry and citizens.

A step-by-step description of the application process can be found at the Global Fund’s website.

Proposals to the Global Fund identify a “Principal Recipient” who will be responsible for receiving funds, implementing activities, and are also accountable for use of funds and results achieved. Proposals are reviewed by an independent Technical Review Panel (TRP), which then makes recommendations to the Board as to which proposals should be funded. The Global Fund is a performance-based mechanism—recipients of grants identify performance targets and the disbursement of further funds is conditional upon the achievement of those targets.

Through its first five rounds of funding, the Global Fund has approved a total of US$5.4 billion to almost 400 grants in 131 countries. This total includes 135 grants that have been approved for continued Phase 2 funding (years three to five of the grant lifespan). Of the US$ 5.4 billion approved, US$ 2.3 billion has already been disbursed to public and private recipients in 127 countries. As of June 2006, 89 percent of approved grants have signed grant agreements. In late April 2006, the Board announced the Sixth Call for Proposals, with a submission dealine of Thursday, 3 August 2006 (see Call for Proposals at http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/apply/call6/)

What donors and other global partners contribute to, or play a major role in the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria?

The major contributors to the Global Fund are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Government, European Commission, France and United Kingdom.

What countries does the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria support?

Countries the Global Fund supports can be found online in their Funded Programs Database.

What are good sources of information about the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria?

The Global Fund’s Framework
GAVI 2004-2005 Work Plan
Questions & Answers about GAVI and the Vaccine Fund
Godal, Torre. GAVI, the first steps: lessons for the Global Fund. The Lancet, Vol 360. July 13, 2002.
Martin, Jacques-Francois and John Marshall. New tendencies and strategies in international immunisation: GAVI and The Vaccine Fund. Vaccine 21 (2003) 587-592.
Nossal, Gustav. Gates, GAVI, the glorious global funds and more: All you ever wanted to know. Immunology and Cell Biology (2003) 81, 20-22.
Wittet, Scott. Introducing GAVI and the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines. Vaccine 19 (2001) 385-386.