25 June 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland - The Stop TB Partnership recently commenced a series of regional meetings to build the capacity of civil society and communities in order to engage them in the Global Fund's new funding model processes.
Ambitious national strategic plans and more robust Global Fund concept notes will lead to better diagnosis, treatment and provision of care to people affected by TB. This flows from the demand-based technical assistance agreement that brings together partners - including the Stop TB Partnership - and the Global Fund to support countries as they develop their applications for Global Fund's grant process.
A key implementing partner is the Global Coalition of TB Activists (GCTA) - a coalition that brings national, regional and sub-regional partners focused on TB communities together to ensure coordinated, unified actions and to amplify the voice of TB communities.
Materials and tools were developed in March to be used by community representatives in their participation during programme reviews, country dialogue and concept note development.
Following this, stand-alone Stop TB-led regional meetings and joints meetings with RBM, UNAIDS, TB Europe Coalition and WHO were organized in Kenya, South Africa, Ukraine and Zimbabwe - creating regional pools of community and civil society representatives ready to support the new funding model processes. Upcoming regional meetings are expected to be held in Senegal (for Francophone African countries), Peru (for Central and Latin America) and India (for Asia).
In addition, Stop TB Partnership ensures participation from communities and civil society in the following countries - Afghanistan, Armenia, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This work is just the beginning of a global effort in ensuring that regional and country based communities, vulnerable groups and people affected by TB participate and engage in the Global Fund processes as part of the new funding model.
To access more information on previous and upcoming meetings, see here.
To access support for technical assistance on the new funding model and engagement with the Global Fund, see here.