Although the new malaria vaccine shows promise, there are concerns about whether it can be effectively administered. The Global Fund will wait for a recommendation from the World Health Organization before deciding whether to support pilot-testing the vaccine in a small number of countries.

A Forum of civil society organizations, key affected populations, and people living with the diseases was initiated in early 2015 in Lao PDR. The Forum will give civil society input into decision-making and will play a role in monitoring grant implementation.

At its upcoming meeting, the Board will review how well the Global Fund has performed against 13 key performance indicators. It will also discuss 2016 performance targets for 10 of the indicators. The KPIs have been modified several times since they were introduced in 2004. This article explains how they have evolved.

A series of emails recently released by the U.S. State Department contradict claims by the Global Fund that Michel Kazatchkine’s resignation as executive director in March 2012 was not related to allegations that the Fund awarded a $2.8 million contract without proper procurement procedures having been followed.

The latest funding approvals involved 22 grants from 11 countries and five regional organizations. Two Malawi grants received $438 million of the $620 million approved. 

Starting in January 2016, a new regional initiative will be implemented to respond to drug-resistant TB epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This is a first regional TB initiative funded by the Global Fund in the EECA.

On 30 October, the Office of the Inspector General released a report on its investigation into the procurement and distribution of nearly two million counterfeit bed nets in Burkina Faso valued at € 9 million. The OIG found that two local wholesalers provided the counterfeit nets and that the PR and the Secretariat bore some responsibility for what happened.

In an audit report on grants to Ghana, the Office of the Inspector General identified weaknesses in managing programs, health services, and products, and in risk management. The OIG also found challenges in data collection and reporting but rated financial and fiduciary management as effective. 

The authors of a paper published by the Center for Strategic International Studies say that there is a lack of data to guide smart investment decisions at the Global Fund, and that the Fund needs to accord a much higher priority to data collection and use. 

When the Global Fund recently signed a $62.7 million HIV grant with Guinea, Bertrand Kampoer says, weaknesses in the capacity of implementers, particularly sub-recipients, had already been identified as one of the grant’s main challenges.

A report on Bulgaria released by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network is the second in a series of case studies on the impact on harm reduction programs when the Global Fund withdraws support.

The Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Global Fund Board is seeking nominations for three positions on its delegation.

This is issue 274 of the GLOBAL FUND OBSERVER (GFO) Newsletter. Please send all suggestions for news items, commentaries or any other feedback to David Garmaise, GFO Editor (david.garmaise@aidspan.org). To subscribe to GFO, go to www.aidspan.org.

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