OTHER GRANT-RELATED ISSUES
Author:
Bernard Rivers
Article Type:Article Number: 5
ABSTRACT Technical support Grants in Euros/Dollars Quality assurance of single- and limited-source pharmaceutical products
At its last meeting, the board set up an ad hoc committee to hold three days of meetings to generate some recommendations regarding the provision of technical support to applicants for and recipients of Global Fund grants. Arising from this, the Arusha board meeting made some relatively basic statements on “the critical importance of technical support for the proposal development stage and throughout the life cycle of the grant, particularly from partners in-country.” The board said that the Secretariat should “clearly communicate to CCMs and PRs that technical support can be funded through Global Fund grants,” and it supported current Secretariat efforts to develop an early warning system to identify technical support needs.
2. Grants in euros and dollars
The board fleshed out details of its earlier decision to permit grants not just in US dollars (as in the past) but also in euros. The final decision was: Phase 1 of all Round 1-4 grants will be paid in dollars. Phase 1 of grants in subsequent Rounds will be in euros or dollars, as chosen in the original application. Phase 2 of all grants will be in euros or dollars, as chosen by the applicant in its Phase 2 renewal request. Where a currency change is requested between Phase 1 and Phase 2, the value of the Phase 2 renewal will be converted from the original grant amount at the exchange rate that applies when the renewal recommendation is sent to the board for approval.
3. Quality assurance of single- and limited-source pharmaceutical products
At its October 2002 meeting, the board decided that if a medicinal product is to be eligible for purchase using Global Fund grants, it must meet various requirements. One of these is that if it is a “single- or limited-source product,” it must (a) have been found to be acceptable by the WHO-initiated UN Pilot Procurement Quality and Sourcing Project, or (b) have been authorized for consumption in its country by a stringent regulatory authority, or (c) have been authorized by the national drug regulatory authority in the recipient’s country. Option (c) was originally applicable only until December 31, 2004, after which suppliers must comply with condition (a) or (b).
At the Arusha meeting, the ability to use option (c) was extended to April 30, 2005.
