President Nana Akufo-Addo on 31st March 2021, launched a US$238 million Global Fund grant to augment Ghana’s efforts to end HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The grant is to finance key interventions under the Global Fund’s New Funding Model III (NFMIII) which spans 2021 to 2023.
Through its partnership with Ghana, the Global Fund has for nearly two decades relentlessly supported the country in improving its health systems and combating diseases especially HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
With the receipt of the NFMIII grant, Ghana would have benefited a cumulative US$1 billion from the Global Fund, according to Dr Francis Chisaka Kasolo, the WHO Country Representative to Ghana and Interim Chair of the Ghana Country Coordinating Mechanism.
In his speech, President Akufo-Addo said the grant would accelerate progress in achieving lower “morbidity and mortality in Malaria, HIV and TB, towards the achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets.’’ That is: 90% of HIV-positive people should know their status; 90% of HIV-positive people who know their status are put on treatment; 90% of people on antiretroviral therapy should have suppressed viral load.
Again, he stated that the new funds also aim to “expand detection of TB cases and TB treatment coverage as well as a construction of an in-patient facility for the management of drug resistant TB patients at Nsawam.” The president urged the Ministry of Health to ensure that the grant is used for its purpose and to monitor and control the quality of service to be provided against the three diseases.
The Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund, Mr. Mark Edintong, disclosed that the grant is an investment into Ghana’s national strategies and it is their hope that the following objectives would be achieved at the end of the NFMIII.
- An 85% reduction of HIV incidence; 90-90-90; and zero discrimination for marginalized groups to access care, support and treatment.
- A 35% reduction in TB deaths; 25% reduction in TB incidence; and 90% MDR-TB treatment success rate.
- A 90% reduction in Malaria mortality; 50% reduction in incidence; and malaria pre-elimination in 7 districts.
- Expand and consolidate critical health systems for supply chain, data management, and resilient communities.
The American Ambassador to Ghana, Ms. Stephanie Sullivan in her speech revealed the US governments commitment towards the Global Fund. She stated that the country remains the largest contributor to the Global Fund and has recently made a “$3.5 billion dollars contribution to the Global Fund specifically for the COVID-19 response, of which Ghana will soon access up to $70 million to address the pandemic.”
Also present at the event were leaders and representatives from Civil Society Organisations involved in the implementation of interventions under the NFMIII grant as well as other national and international partners including Hope for Future Generations, Ghana West African Program to Combat AIDS and STI (WAPCAS), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), UNAIDS, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and more.
Remarkably, Hope for Future Generations aired videos of some works and success stories of community cadres’ engagements in HIV and TB under the Community System Strengthening intervention implemented with WAPCAS as the principal recipient on the NFMII grant.
Compiled By:
Emmanuella Kwamee