Global Fund earmarks $140 million for India, funding to begin next month

EHM News Bureau - Mumbai

Richard Feacham, executive director, Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria opines that there is an argument for greater spend on HIV, TB and malaria. “India uses external resources like foreign funding more than its own to fight HIV, TB and Aids programmes,” he laments. Nevertheless, Global Fund has earmarked $ 140 million with $ 100 million for HIV and $ 40 million for TB programmes taking into account the epidemic proportions Aids is expected to assume. Says Feacham, “Country after country has gone through the denial — “No it cannot happen to me.” This happened with India too. Only now it is coming to confrontation.”

Global Fund is a 13 month old organisation, which funds programmes that fight these diseases. Says Feacham, “It is difficult for the donor to invest more than what the recipient is investing.” As he speaks on the need to invest in India, he says, “India may be 15 years behind South Africa but it is a time bomb on a similar trajectory.”

Sixty per cent of the funds will be given to NGOs, 20 per cent to the private sector, 15 per cent to the government and the rest will be given to the community and academic based institutions. The funds are expected to flow over a period of five years.

“There is a commitment for funding in the initial two years after which the organization will continue based on the programmes’ successes. The technical review committee looks at the soundness of proposal or scientific credibility.

Global Fund accepts proposals from a country coordinating mechanism which submits a coordinated country proposal that is required to be consistent with nationally formulated policies. Speaking on the criteria for acceptance of proposals, Feachem gave the example of South Africa where the government proposed the use of impregnated mosquito nets for malaria.

“Proposals must be what you think is best for India and not what foreigners think is best. We need programmes that are effective,” he said. The proposals have monitoring and evaluation component built in. Global Fund is also in the process of appointing an agency in India to keep a tab on the programmes they have funded.