Physicians for Human Rights has released a Guide to Using Round 7 of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to Support Health Systems Strengthening. This is an extensively revised update to a health systems strengthening guide for Round 6. The Guide is available at: http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/report-2007-03-17.html.

Even though the Global Fund does not have a separate "health systems strengthening" component, there is considerable scope for including in Global Fund proposals certain health systems strengthening activities that are needed to reduce the spread and impact of AIDS, TB and malaria. The Guide points out that successful proposals in earlier rounds have included a wide variety of systems investments critical to the fight against the three diseases, such as supporting salaries and expanded training capacity as part of an emergency human resources program, increasing access for the poor to health services, and strengthening primary level health infrastructure.

The Guide covers topics including:

• Why applicants should seek health systems strengthening support from the Fund.
• What health systems strengthening measures the Fund will support.
• Finding opportunities to use the Fund to support health systems strengthening.
• Selected topics in developing successful health systems strengthening-related proposals, including addressing salaries and incentives, sustainability, and linking health systems strengthening actions to the Fund's target diseases.
• Key features of successful health systems strengthening-related proposals.
• Lessons from earlier Technical Review Panel comments, especially those related to health systems strengthening.