Global Fund Cancels Funding for Last Two Years of Zambia Round 4 HIV Grant

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 2

ABSTRACT In a separate development, the Global Fund has discontinued funding for the last two years of Zambia's Round 4 HIV/AIDS grant because the PR - the Ministry of Finance and National Planning - failed to meet the conditions imposed when Phase 2 of the grant was approved.

The Global Fund last month discontinued funding for Years 4 and 5 of Zambia’s Round 4 HIV/AIDS grant because the PR – the Ministry of Finance and National Planning – failed to meet the conditions imposed when Phase 2 of the grant was approved in 2008. The conditions were that the PR utilise at least 50% of the grant funds disbursed in Year 3, and that an overall rating of B1 or higher be achieved during Year 3. The Global Fund Secretariat determined that neither condition was fulfilled.

Editor’s Note: This is a separate development from the suspension of several Zambian grants, which we reported on in the previous article, and which involves the Ministry of Health as PR.

According to information posted on the Zambia pages of the Grant Portfolio section of the Global Fund website, just under half of the $15.8 million approved for this grant had been disbursed when the decision to discontinue funding was taken.

This grant included funding for life-saving treatments. The CCM may apply to the Global Fund, under the Continuity of Services Policy, for funds to continue the treatments for up to two years. This means that there should be no interruption of treatment for the people involved.

The Board’s decision is contained in Decision Point GF/B20/EDP19 in the “Electronic Decision Points” document GF/B21/17 at www.theglobalfund.org/en/board/meetings/twentyfirst/documents.