UPDATES ON THE GLOBAL FUND’S FUNDING CUTS IN CAMEROON AND THE COVID-19 SITUATION

Author:

Ann Ithibu

Article Number: 8

ABSTRACT The Global Fund has recently informed Cameroon of its decision to de-commit €10 million from its 2017–2019 allocation for failing to meet co-financing commitments. It has also published its 31st edition of the COVID-19 Situation Report, which details the effect of COVID-19 on the malaria response.

Global Fund withholds €10 million from Cameroon for failing to meet co-financing commitments

In a letter dated 9 October 2020, the Global Fund informed the Government of Cameroon of its decision to de-commit €9 867 484.80 from Cameroon’s 2017–2019 allocation. According to this letter, the Global Fund reached this decision after verified and projected investments show that Cameroon will not fully meet its co-financing commitments for the period 2018 to 2020. Cameroon had committed €73 344 618 to the three diseases and has thus far met 40 percent of this commitment. The country plans to spend an additional €25 million by 31 December 2020, which will increase overall compliance to 70 percent. However, Cameroon needed to fully meet its co-financing commitment to access the full amount allocated for the 2017–2019 period.

The Global Fund will reduce funding to four grants: the state HIV grant CMR-H-MOH (€1.6 million), the non-state HIV grant CMR-H-CMF (€687 400), the state tuberculosis grant CMR-T-MOH (€10 496), and the state malaria grant CMR-M-MOH (€7.6 million). The letter also reiterated that Cameroon would only access €50 million of the 2020–2022 allocation (€250 million) upon meeting the 2021–2023 period’s commitments.

Source: The Global Fund’s letter to the Honorable Minister Malachie Manaouda dated 9 October 2020, Reference: GMD/AME/CA/CF/BC/YN/AA/20/103 (The letter is on file with the author)

Global Fund updates on COVID-19

Global Fund’s COVID-19 Situation Report 27 October 2020

The Global Fund Secretariat has continued to provide updates on funds made available to support the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. It has so far approved the disbursement of $811 million to 107 countries and 13 multi-country programs. This Situation Report also detailed the effects of COVID-19 on the malaria response. COVID-19 has delayed mosquito net distribution campaigns, affected malaria case management, and increased the risk of stock-outs of essential anti-malaria medicines in some countries. Included in the programs supported by the Global Fund during the pandemic is door-to-door distribution for long-lasting insecticidal nets, procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for community health workers, as well as the increased use of digital technologies. The report has also highlighted how the seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign has reached millions of people in Burkina Faso.

The report can be found on the Global Fund website.