WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FIFTY-FIFTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Provisional agenda item 13.4 A55/8 Add.1 10 May 2002
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Note by the Secretariat
1.
This note provides an update on the information given in document A55/8.
COUNTRY PROPOSALS 2. Over 300 proposals were received by the Interim Secretariat by the deadline of 10 March. Of these 145 (divided into 204 components) met the basic criteria set by the Secretariat and were forwarded to the Technical Review Panel. 3. At its second meeting (New York, 22-24 April), the Board of the Global Fund approved 40 proposals from 31 countries, amounting to a commitment of US$ 378 million over two years. Another 18 proposals from 12 countries, plus three multicountry proposals, amounting to a commitment of a further US$ 238 million, are to be subject to a fast-track approval process conditional on certain changes and improvements specified by the Review Panel. Of the proposals approved, combating HIV/AIDS accounts for over 60% of the funding. Around half the proposals approved are from Africa. 4. A third group of proposals requiring more extensive changes will be reviewed again by the Review Panel before the Board meets in November 2002. With a few exceptions, all other applicants will be encouraged to resubmit proposals. The Secretariat is currently advising all those that applied on procedure. The communication will include the comments of the Panel on individual applications.
APPOINTMENTS 5. The Board appointed Dr Richard Feachem, currently founding director of the Institute for Global Health, San Francisco, United States of America and formerly Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, as Executive Director of the Fund’s Secretariat. He is expected to take up his position in July 2002. 6. Dr Anders Nordstrom will remain as Interim Executive Director until Dr Feachem takes up his position. The Fund will continue to operate from the International Conference Centre, Geneva, until its permanent offices in Geneva are ready in mid-July.
A55/8 Add.1
PARTICIPATION 7. The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, as patron of the Fund, addressed the Board on “The global commitment to fight AIDS, TB and malaria”. He was joined by a number of eminent figures and Board members to discuss the challenges ahead: operating as a genuine public-private partnership, being innovative, adding value and working with existing institutions, mobilizing significant additional resources, and acting urgently in response to need. 8. Nigeria took up its seat on the Board for the first time as the member for West and Central Africa.
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENTS 9. The Board adopted the Phase 1 Trustee Agreement under which the World Bank will become the Global Trustee of the Fund. The Board also approved the signing of the Administrative Services Agreement between the Fund and WHO.
WORK UNDER WAY 10. The Fund’s Secretariat is currently working on details of the arrangements under which successful applicants will receive money from the Fund. These will involve appointment of a local partner organization to handle the funds, assessment of the financial management capacity of primary recipients, and review of procurement and monitoring arrangements. 11. Working groups have been established by the Board to revise guidelines and proposals, and to review the processes of the Technical Review Panel; to establish a monitoring and evaluation system; and to advise the Board on procurement policies and procedures and on governance of the Fund.
NEXT STEPS 12. The dates for the next round of proposals will be announced shortly. Provisional dates for the next Board meetings are 17-18 September (Geneva), with a focus on policy issues, and 13-14 November, to consider the next round of proposals.
ACTION BY THE HEALTH ASSEMBLY 13. The Health Assembly is invited to note the information contained in this document.
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