Aidspan - independent watchdog of the Global Fund and publisher of Global Fund Observer
Aidspan is an international non-governmental Kenya-based organization whose mission is to reinforce the effectiveness of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Aidspan does so by serving as an independent watchdog of the Fund, and by providing services that can benefit all countries wishing to obtain and make effective use of Global Fund financing. Aidspan finances its work primarily through grants from governments and foundations. Aidspan does not accept Global Fund money, perform paid consulting work, or charge for any of its products.
Aidspan provides the following services:
1. Watchdog services
- Watch for and constructively comment on ways in which the Global Fund's leadership, Secretariat or grant recipients may not be living up to the Fund's founding principles.
- Communicate findings publicly (via Global Fund Observer) or privately, as appropriate.
2. Publication services
- Global Fund Observer (GFO), a free email newsletter providing news, analysis and commentary to nearly 10,000 subscribers in 170 countries.
- Aidspan Guides, a series of free publications providing detailed practical advice to those applying for, overseeing or implementing Global Fund grants.
3. Web services
- The Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages on Aidspan's web site, a comprehensive on-line resource for comparing the performance of Global Fund grants.
- More web services (forthcoming).
4. Facilitation services
- Global Fund Round Tables for global health leaders and advocates.
- More facilitation services (forthcoming).
Aidspan Spotlight
Aidspan's facilitation services are provided in both developing and developed countries. In developing countries, Aidspan works with others to increase the number of viable grant applications that are submitted to the Global Fund, to strengthen the effectiveness of Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs), and to improve the chances that grants are effectively implemented. In developed countries, it works with others to improve the chances that more money will be given to the Global Fund.
Aidspan's Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages show how well each Global Fund grant is performing against its own goals and in relation to other grants. Based on in-depth data automatically downloaded from the Global Fund's website on a regular basis, the system offers both a graphical and a tabular assessment of the performance of each grant.
Global Fund Observer (GFO) is a widely-read, authoritative and free email-based newsletter, produced by Aidspan, that provides an independent platform for news, analysis and commentary about the Global Fund to nearly 10,000 subscribers in 170 countries.
Global AIDS and the Global Fund
Since its inception, the Global Fund has approved 844 grants, of which 501 have been extended to Phase 2 (Years 3 and beyond).
The most recent agreement for a new grant was signed on 15 December 2012, providing an initial amount of $3,380,957 for a project in Panama.
The most recent agreement to extend a grant beyond its initial 2-year period was signed on 22 December 2011, providing $1,877,652 for a Malaria project in Bolivia (Plurinational State).
Funding has been distributed by disease component and by region as follows:
| Approved funding by disease component | |
|---|---|
| HIV/AIDS | $12.22 billion |
| Malaria | $6.45 billion |
| TB | $3.82 billion |
| HIV/TB | $0.21 billion |
| HSS | $0.19 billion |
| Approved funding by region | |
| East Africa | $5.57 billion |
| West and Central Africa | $3.56 billion |
| Southern Africa | $3.51 billion |
| East Asia and the Pacific | $3.37 billion |
| South Asia | $1.94 billion |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | $1.91 billion |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | $1.55 billion |
| North Africa and the Middle East | $1.48 billion |
For details of individual grants, country-by-country information, indications of which grants are ahead of or behind schedule, and more, visit the Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages on this site.
Recent News
At its meeting in Geneva on 10-11 May, the Global Fund Board said that the Fund will "open new funding opportunities" in late September 2012, and that the Board will start making funding decisions no later than the end of April 2013.
According to General Manager Gabriel Jaramillo, weaknesses in the performance management system for Secretariat staff hindered the quality of the re-organisation recently undertaken in the Secretariat. Mr Jaramillo made his comments in his report to the Board. Mr Jaramillo added that some of the decisions taken by management could lead to legal action against the Global Fund.
The Global Fund says that it expects that $1.6 billion "in additional funding" will be available to invest in new grants for the period 2012-2014. This figure includes up to $616 million for the Transitional Funding Mechanism.
Recent News
At its meeting in Geneva on 10-11 May, the Global Fund Board said that the Fund will "open new funding opportunities" in late September 2012, and that the Board will start making funding decisions no later than the end of April 2013.
According to General Manager Gabriel Jaramillo, weaknesses in the performance management system for Secretariat staff hindered the quality of the re-organisation recently undertaken in the Secretariat. Mr Jaramillo made his comments in his report to the Board. Mr Jaramillo added that some of the decisions taken by management could lead to legal action against the Global Fund.
The Global Fund says that it expects that $1.6 billion "in additional funding" will be available to invest in new grants for the period 2012-2014. This figure includes up to $616 million for the Transitional Funding Mechanism.
Recent GFO Highlights
The dismantling of the Global Fund's Civil Society Team will reduce the influence of civil society organisations at the country level in governance, oversight and grant implementation, says Angela Kageni. "The restructuring may also lead to fewer channels for local partners to vent, voice fears, share, learn and consult."
"Earlier this week, Reuters published a story about the Global Fund that represented terrible journalism," says Bernard Rivers. "When, by nineteen hours after the error-filled Reuters story appeared, the Global Fund had done nothing about it, Aidspan contacted Reuters, pointing out the errors. Reuters then issued a corrected version of its story."
When the Global Fund publishes statistics such as the number of lives saved and the number of people on treatment, it usually includes the caveat that these numbers are the results of programmes supported by the Global Fund. Unfortunately, writes David Garmaise, "this distinction often gets lost when the numbers are reported by the media and by other organisations working in development. And it often gets lost in the Global Fund's own publicity."
Two ideas have been advanced for raising more revenue for international development and for reducing the extent to which organisations like the Global Fund are dependent on government donations. One, an airline tax, has already been implemented. The other, a financial transactions tax, is being actively promoted. But there are fears that the FTT may not be used for international development.
This article provides excerpts from three commentaries on the Global Fund that have appeared in the media and in the blogosphere.
Recent GFO Highlights
The dismantling of the Global Fund's Civil Society Team will reduce the influence of civil society organisations at the country level in governance, oversight and grant implementation, says Angela Kageni. "The restructuring may also lead to fewer channels for local partners to vent, voice fears, share, learn and consult."
"Earlier this week, Reuters published a story about the Global Fund that represented terrible journalism," says Bernard Rivers. "When, by nineteen hours after the error-filled Reuters story appeared, the Global Fund had done nothing about it, Aidspan contacted Reuters, pointing out the errors. Reuters then issued a corrected version of its story."
When the Global Fund publishes statistics such as the number of lives saved and the number of people on treatment, it usually includes the caveat that these numbers are the results of programmes supported by the Global Fund. Unfortunately, writes David Garmaise, "this distinction often gets lost when the numbers are reported by the media and by other organisations working in development. And it often gets lost in the Global Fund's own publicity."
Two ideas have been advanced for raising more revenue for international development and for reducing the extent to which organisations like the Global Fund are dependent on government donations. One, an airline tax, has already been implemented. The other, a financial transactions tax, is being actively promoted. But there are fears that the FTT may not be used for international development.
This article provides excerpts from three commentaries on the Global Fund that have appeared in the media and in the blogosphere.
Recent Publications
Description:
This 20-page report describes how the Global Fund has evolved and how it has engaged with aid effectiveness and health systems strengthening. The report also discusses current commentaries on the future direction of the Global Fund and advances recommendations that the authors believe should inform discussions about the Fund's challenges..
Download options:
 529KB |
 188KB |
Description:
This 11-page document reviews the tumultuous events of 2011 at the Global Fund, and provides Aidspan's perspective on what needs to change going forward.
Download options:
397KB |
115KB |
Recent Publications
Description:
This 20-page report describes how the Global Fund has evolved and how it has engaged with aid effectiveness and health systems strengthening. The report also discusses current commentaries on the future direction of the Global Fund and advances recommendations that the authors believe should inform discussions about the Fund's challenges..
Download options:
529KB |
188KB |
Description:
This 11-page document reviews the tumultuous events of 2011 at the Global Fund, and provides Aidspan's perspective on what needs to change going forward.
Download options:
397KB |
115KB |