Global Fund Board of Directors: Presentation of the provisional agenda for the November 18-22, 2024 meeting in Malawi

Author:

Christian Djoko

Article Type:

Article Number: 2

This article presents the main points of the provisional agenda for the 52e meeting of the Board of Directors of the Global Fund, to be held in Malawi from November 19 to 22, 2024.

The 52nd Board meeting of the Global Fund will take place from November 18 to 22, 2024 in Malawi, bringing together leaders and stakeholders to review priorities and guide key decisions in the fight against global pandemics. Here’s an overview of the main topics to be addressed at the meeting, marked by discussions on funding sustainability, catalytic investments, resource mobilization and the implications of the Fund’s policies for global health.

 

November 18: District meetings

The first day will be dedicated to constituency meetings, enabling the various stakeholder groups to coordinate their positions and exchange views on their respective priorities. These upstream discussions are often essential for refining strategies, aligning priorities and facilitating coherent decision-making during the formal sessions on the following days. These meetings are likely to lay the foundations for productive and structured discussions, essential for effectively tackling the topics that follow on the official agenda.

 

November 19: High-Level Segment and country voices

November 19 will be marked by a High-Level Event, which we understand will bring together national testimonials, addressing issues of sustainability, health systems strengthening (RSSH), and youth involvement in the fight against epidemics. The aim of this dialogue is to share successes, obstacles and the importance of full commitment to sustainable results.

 

November 20: Pre-sessions and official opening

On November 20, the Board of Directors will consider scoping sessions prior to the official opening. Topics to be discussed will include:

• Public funding and global health outcomes: A session devoted to the use of public funding for global health, with lessons learned from the Global Fund’s high-level meeting in Geneva. This discussion aims to analyze the results of public funding investments and identify opportunities to optimize the impact of invested resources.
• Human rights issues: A panel discussion will give voice to local communities, including testimonials from the region, to assess human rights issues in the context of the Fund’s missions.
• Climate and health: the impact of climate change on public health will be explored, with a particular focus on vulnerable countries that are experiencing the effects of climate change on their ability to fight epidemics.

 

The afternoon will see the official opening of the meeting and a presentation of the state of progress of the HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and RSSH programs. This introductory session will conclude with the presentation of the Executive Director’s report, during which he will take stock of current actions and challenges.

 

November 21: Sustainability at the heart of strategy

November 21 will be devoted to a series of sessions around sustainability, eligibility and co-financing policies, as well as catalytic investments, the main points of which are as follows:

• Sustainability summary and framework: a contextual review of current priorities and challenges for ensuring the sustainability of funded programs.
• Eligibility and transition policies: Eligibility and transition policies will be analyzed to adjust co-financing processes, particularly in the context of the gradual transition of certain countries towards greater financial autonomy.
• Allocation methodology and catalytic investments: examining optimized funding approaches to maximize the impact of grants. Catalytic investments target projects with a high potential for transformation and contribute directly to the resilience of healthcare systems.

 

These sometimes-difficult discussions are crucial to ensuring that Global Fund financing is allocated effectively and strategically, enabling partner countries to move towards self-sufficiency in public health. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the outcome.

 

November 22: decision-making and resource mobilization

The final day will be devoted to strategic decisions and resource mobilization. Board members will examine and decide on :

• Report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG): a review of the OIG’s current actions will be presented, highlighting initiatives to enhance transparency and efficiency of operations.
• Operating budget 2025: decision on the budget for the year 2025, which will cover the Fund’s resources and operational priorities.
• Decisions on sustainability, eligibility and catalytic investments: important decisions will be made for the 2026-2028 funding cycle, to ensure that policies and budget allocations best support sustainability and transition objectives.

 

Finally, discussions on resource mobilization and risk management will bring the meeting to a close. These final discussions aim to establish a sound financing strategy and ensure that risks, including those related to the local supply chain, are proactively managed.

 

Notable remarks and absences from the agenda

Although the agenda covers essential topics, some critical ones are missing, raising concerns among stakeholders. Health systems strengthening and lessons learned from RSSH/C19RM investments in pandemic preparedness are not included. An in-depth assessment of these investments, particularly in light of the challenges posed by climate change, would have been invaluable in informing governance and anticipating future health crises.

 

Also absent from the agenda was the Inspector General’s advisory report on the Additional Safeguarding Policy (ASP). The report’s key conclusions fit well with current efforts to make the necessary improvements, both within the Secretariat and with national partners. However, an open discussion on the subject would have enabled new avenues for improvement to be explored in collaboration with stakeholders.