The governance of global health institutions is a critical determinant of their effectiveness and legitimacy. In June 2025, a discussion was initiated on the necessity of African representation on the Ethics and Governance Committee of the Global Fund, which we covered earlier (Where representation matters, we should stand!) This article builds upon that premise by examining the even more compelling case for including African voices in the organization's central decision-making body: the Strategy Committee. The Committee's mandate—to set the strategic direction and oversee the impact of the Global Fund's investments—makes it the pivotal body that charts the future of the fight against HIV, TB, and malaria.

The 2025 renewal of the Global Fund's committees offers a timely opportunity to reflect on how African representatives can transition from being beneficiaries of policies to being its architects. Additionally, the Board document for the 54th Board Meeting (GF/B54/06) held from11 to 13 February 2026 in Geneva, titled "Strategic Shifts for GC8: Supporting progressive sustainability and effective transitions," underscores why this voice is not just valuable but essential. It outlines a future where the Global Fund will "lean into" supporting countries to transition away from external financing, with defined timelines and a focus on sustainability and health sovereignty. As the continent that hosts the highest disease burden (nearly 70%) and receives the largest share of Global Fund resources ($244,070,685Mn allocated between 2023-2025 as per the African Constituency Bureau’s analysis); Africa’s presence at the table where these transitions are designed, namely, the Global Fund Strategy Committee, will prove crucial.

What is the Strategy Committee?

The Strategy Committee (SC) oversees the strategic direction of the Global Fund and ensures the optimal impact of its health investments. It performs advisory, decision-making, and supervisory functions, notably by advising the Board on the development of institutional strategy, performance evaluation, and risk management. The Committee approves frameworks for implementing strategic policies, modifications to the mandates of advisory panels, and supervises the effectiveness of health investments.

To simplify, Dr Mele Djalo, a former member of the Strategy Committee, believes that it is the central technical body of the Global Fund whose primary role is to assess the impact of existing strategies and to oversee the technical and practical implementation of policies and grants. It is described as the "brain" that sets the strategic directions of the organisation, based on concrete analyses rather than political considerations.

Who is part of the SC?

The current Strategy Committee is composed of twelve voting members, split evenly between six representatives from an implementer group (Communities, Developed Country NGOs, Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa; Eastern Mediterranean Region; Latin America and Caribbean) and six from a donor group (European Commission [Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain; Germany, Japan], United Kingdom, United States; Private Foundations, Partners; UNAIDS and WHO). In addition, there are several non-voting roles, including a neutral Chair and Vice-Chair, as well as ex-officio representatives from other related boards and panels, such as the Global Fund’s Technical Review Panel and the Independent Expert Panel, who all serve in a non-voting capacity.

The leadership and membership of the committee are governed by specific rules. The neutral Chair and Vice-Chair alternate between individuals nominated by the donor and implementer groups with each term. All members, including the Chair and Vice-Chair, serve three-year terms. Nominees must possess senior-level qualifications and expertise relevant to the committee's work, as outlined in the organization's official Operating Procedures.

All operational details, including the rules of procedure, quorum requirements, voting processes, and specific roles and responsibilities, are established and documented in the organization's Operating Procedures and the Board and Committee Member Roles and Responsibilities guidelines.

Over the years, many Africans have participated in this committee, including Dr Nduku Kilonzo, Dr Abdoulaye Ciré and Dr Mele Djalo. Charles Edward Lahai Senessie and Dr Gerald Gwinji currently represent the continent. So, Africa has the nous to ensure that the continent’s specific health challenges, operational realities and priorities are embedded into the strategy for transition. We reached out to Dr Mele Djalo and Dr Gerald Gwinji to hear their perspective on being a voice for Africa at the Global Fund and bringing the weight of their experience and expertise to the table.

Eyes on Africa!

Pix courtesy: African Constituency Bureau

Dr Mele Djalo reflected on her five-year journey representing West and Central Africa, describing it as a formative and strategic period. She had the opportunity to directly influence the development of the Global Fund's new strategy, ensuring it accurately reflected local realities. She views this meaningful involvement as crucial to establishing Africa's health sovereignty. She concluded that the current strategy is the most effective yet for creating a tangible impact on the continent.

For Dr Djalo, African representation and participation in this committee is a major strategic issue. It allows the countries of the continent, particularly those in West and Central Africa (WCA), to influence decisions upstream. The aim is to highlight their specificities and operational realities so that the policies of the Global Fund are better adapted to them. It is about transforming the relationship: Africa should no longer be just an implementation partner, but a full actor in advocacy and decision-making.

Nostalgic and grateful for the five years within the SC, Dr Djalo is particularly proud of some achievements she witnessed as an active member: the unique challenges faced by Francophone countries and those in so-called Challenging Operating Environments have been taken into consideration, leading to better flexibility in the implementation of grants. African priorities, such as strengthening health systems and recognizing the specific needs of women and children, have been incorporated into overall strategies. Furthermore, collaboration between the Global Fund and the countries has improved, with a review of complex policies, including the Additional Safeguards Policy.

Major General Dr Gerald Gwinji is active within the Global Fund ecosystem having served as an Alternate Board Member representing East and Southern Africa. Currently, he has been on the Strategy Committee for almost five years. In this period of financial constraints and in the light eighth Global Fund replenishment and the last Global Fund Board meeting discussions, we spoke to Dr Gwinji for his views.

Pix courtesy: African Constituency Bureau

Dr Gwinji emphasized the significant portion of Global Fund resources allotted to Africa through the various grants. In this light, it is therefore crucial for Africa to actively inform, indicate, and even direct the areas in which these funds are invested, how they are invested, and what impact they are expected to produce. Africa can only do this when it sits on and participates in the various decision-making bodies and processes of the Global Fund, be they at the technical or governance level. It is without doubt necessary for Africa to influence the Global Fund strategy and its implementation to derive maximum benefit for its populace.

He said, "I sit on the Strategy Committee representing East and Southern Africa, and together with my colleague representing WCA, we are mandated and trusted to use this opportunity and platform to always ensure that strategies and interventions made are grounded on and informed by the realities of the epidemics and the health systems that carry the responses on the ground and in the communities[AN1] ."

Why this matters now: the GC8 strategic shift

The Board document GF/B54/06 makes clear that the Global Fund is preparing for a fundamental shift during GC8: facilitating "effective transitions, sustainability and self-reliance." The context includes constrained fiscal space in low-income countries, shifts in Official Development Assistance, and an emerging self-reliance agenda. The document explicitly states that "GC8 strategic shifts will include a significant focus on supporting effective transitions from Global Fund financing, including enhanced predictability in transition timelines."

For African members of the Strategy Committee, this agenda presents both a risk and an opportunity. The risk is that transitions become abrupt, driven by donor timelines rather than epidemiological realities. The opportunity is to shape what "progressive and effective transitions" actually mean. The Board document acknowledges that "country context significantly impacts individual pathways and timelines - especially for lower income & higher disease burdens contexts." It also recognizes that success "will require both strong Global Fund engagement, as well as significant country and political willingness to make the right investments."

This is precisely where African voices on the Strategy Committee become indispensable. When documents speak of "differentiated approaches" and "transition pathways," African members ensure that differentiation is grounded in lived realities. When the Secretariat proposes co-financing requirements, African members can speak to fiscal space constraints that might otherwise be overlooked. The Board document notes that "around two-thirds of High Impact/Core countries have at least one grant assessed as Very High or High co-financing risk." African committee members understand why: economies destabilized by coups, public financial management systems with limitations, health expenditures that cannot be easily tracked. They can distinguish between genuine political will and structural incapacity.

Furthermore, the emerging emphasis on "health sovereignty" in GC8, including linkages to the Accra Reset, creates new space for African leadership. The Board document acknowledges that the Accra Reset "marks a bold call to end development-as-usual" and is "anchored on country ownership, innovative financing, and shared accountability." These are not abstract concepts. They require translation into operational reality. Who better to do that translation than African experts who understand both Global Fund procedures and continental aspirations?

Conclusion

The testimonies of former and current African members of the Strategy Committee, such as Dr Mele Djalo and Major General Dr Gerald Gwinji, underscore a powerful and consistent argument: meaningful representation is a strategic imperative, not a symbolic gesture. As the continent that is both most affected by the diseases and the recipient of the largest portion of Global Fund resources, Africa has a fundamental stake in ensuring that these investments are strategic and effective. The presence of seasoned African professionals on the Strategy Committee has already demonstrated tangible benefits, from adapting policies for Challenging Operating Environments to prioritizing the strengthening of continental health systems.

In an era of tightening budgets, shifting donor priorities, and an institutional pivot toward transition and sustainability, the need for this representation has never been more acute. The GC8 strategic shifts outlined in GF/B54/06 will determine how countries transition, what co-financing looks like, and what "health sovereignty" means in practice. To maximize the impact of every dollar and build sustainable, locally owned health solutions, the strategies guiding the Global Fund must be informed by those who understand the realities on the ground. Ensuring a strong and influential African voice within the Strategy Committee is, therefore, not just a matter of equity, but a fundamental prerequisite for moving from a position of implementation to one of influential co-creation that will prove critical for the future success of the Global Fund and for the health and sovereignty of the African continent.