The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will not impose caps or limits on individual grant proposals submitted by countries for its 10th funding cycle, scheduled to open May 20. Health groups have voiced relief about the decision while expressing concern about looming funding gaps.
The Global Fund will impose a cap on the total amount of the money that will be committed during the said funding round, Results UK says. The amount will be limited by how much donors will contribute during the Global Fund’s replenishment this autumn.
The Global Fund board was reportedly considering imposing caps on individual grants during their Geneva meeting in April. International nongovernment organizations urged the board to reject the implementation of such funding caps.
Results UK notes that even without the limits on individual grants, the total number of grants financed this year could still be limited if donor countries do not commit enough funds during the replenishment period.
The Global Fund board also approved a new funding review criterion which gives priority to lower-income countries. This could affect efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in middle-income countries, especially if funds are insufficient, Results UK says, noting that the Global Fund has created a USD75 million funding envelope for projects targeting the most marginalized and vulnerable HIV/AIDS communities.
In mid-April, nongovernmental organizations based in Latin America and the Caribbean launched an online petition against such changes to the Global Fund’s prioritization model.
