The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) recently facilitated the signing of the new Global Fund grant valued over R8,8 billion for the next three-year cycle for HIV and TB response at GCIS offices in Pretoria.
At country level, the grant is administered through a structure known as the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (GF-CCM) which is chaired by the SANAC CEO, Dr. Thembisile Xulu and, is co-chaired by a SANAC Civil Society Forum Deputy Chairperson, Mr. Solly Nduku. The GF-CCM is a multi-stakeholder structure mandated by the Global Fund to oversee grant implementation and features representatives from government, civil society, development partners and the private sector.
The Global Fund has approved an amount of US$546,766,625 for the period April 2022 – March 2025, which will continue to support theHIV programme and expand the Tuberculosis programme in South Africa.
In his capacity as the Chairperson of SANAC, Deputy President David Mabuza delegated the Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla to officiate the signing ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, the SANAC Co-Chairperson Ms. Steve Letsike said COVID-19 threatened gains made in the country’s response efforts to HIV and TB, “As we celebrate 20 years of impact
of the Global Fund, we celebrate the 44 million lives saved, some of whom are here with us today! This is indeed an achievement worth celebrating. When we met to sign the previous grant three years ago, no one could have anticipated the devastation that would be suffered under COVID-19 – threatening to reverse all the gains we
have made in responding to HIV and TB.”
The Chairperson of the SANAC Trust Board, Mr. Bonolo Ramokhele delivered closing remarks and thanked the Global Fund for the continued support and said the CCM Secretariat housed within the Trust will continue to render support, “We thank the Global Fund for the continued support for over twenty years. We welcome the
significant increased allocation in this new grant as well as the retention of the current Principal Recipients. The addional support will enable them to improve programme design and implementaion for better outcomes. As done with previous and current PRs, the Global Fund CCM housed within the the SANAC Trust will continue to render support needed by PRs to successfully implement programmes.”
Key ambassadors from countries that are both contributors and beneficiaries of the Global Fund, such as France, United States of America, Senegal and the European Union. Heads of development partner agencies such as UNAIDS-SA were all represented.