Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2023
Author:
Editorial Team
Article Type:Article Number: 1
And for the forthcoming grant applications
ABSTRACT Welcome to 2023! We start the first issue of GFO with a message from Aidspan’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director. We bring you the latest on the Grant Cycle 7 allocations, now the country amounts have been published. We also discuss the presentation made to the Board on the Thematic Report on Communities and the proceedings of a technical workshop hosted by UNAIDS-Technical Support Mechanism in Senegal in December 2022. Finally, we review the Office of the Inspector General’s recent audit on Global Fund grants in Bangladesh and report on a recent regional African workshop which discussed, among other topics, health system strengthening in the new funding cycle, COVID-19 grant portfolio optimization and pandemic preparedness and response.
Dear subscribers
Let’s kick off our first issue of 2023 with a message from Isaac Awuondo, Chairman of Aidspan’s Board of Directors, and Ida Hakizinka, Aidspan’s Executive Director.
| Dear readers and partners,
Welcome to the first edition of the Global Fund Observer for the year 2023 While 2022 saw the COVID-19 pandemic slow its progress, this was replaced by other events that have influenced our work in global health. Unfortunately, political instability in many countries, the war in Ukraine, and the global economic situation combined with runaway inflation have all had a significant impact on global health financing. Our hope is that 2023 will be a better year for all. We hope that you have had a joyful and restorative holiday season with those who are dear to you and started 2023 refreshed and ready to address. We would also like to thank you for your continued trust. The ever-increasing number of subscribers is ample proof of your interest in our various activities and publications. As we enter the new year, we look forward to seeing you soon and continuing to bring you relevant news and information about the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, especially as we begin the implementation of Strategy 2023-2028 and the new funding cycle (Grant Cycle 7). We will also continue to provide you with our analysis of key global health issues and challenges. On behalf of the Board, we wish you all the best for 2023. Isaac Awuondo and Ida Hakizinka |
In this issue, we bring you the latest on Grant Cycle 7 allocations, now the country amounts have been published. In particular we look at the ‘new’ priorities ¾ priorities which have always been there but have now assumed center stage whereby countries have no option but to respond to the priorities of the new Global Fund Strategy (Gender equality in the Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 and Global Fund Grant Cycle 7: Time to prioritize ). In our next issue we will look at the allocation amounts over several Global Fund funding cycles and examine how these have changed as well as other factors influencing them.
We also discuss the presentation made to the Board on the Thematic Report on Communities at the Center .. Finally, we review the Office of the Inspector General’s recent audit on Global Fund grants in Bangladesh and report on a recent regional African workshop which discussed, among other topics, health system strengthening in the new funding cycle, COVID-19 grant portfolio optimization and pandemic preparedness and response (The new wave of funding and portfolio optimization for C19RM ).
As ever, Aidspan and our editorial team, under the leadership of Ida Hakizinka, does its best to ensure the accuracy of data and statements in our published articles ― and hence our inclusion of hyperlinks ― but if you, the reader, identify an error or important omission, please notify us and provide us with your data source; and we shall be happy to publish a correction or amendment.
If you enjoy the GFO and find it relevant to your work, please encourage your colleagues to colleagues to subscribe!
Don’t forget: if you are aware of an interesting development relevant to disease programmes or health systems and that you feel is worthy of global discussion, do let me know together with the name of a person prepared to write about this. Suggestions and comments can be sent to us, Ida Hakizinka or Arlette Campbell White in English, French or Spanish at ida.hakizinka@aidspan.org or acampbell.white@aidspan.org.
The Aidspan Editorial Team
