BACKUP Gesundheit – Support for partners in their work with the Global Fund

Project description

Title:

BACKUP Health

Commissioned by:

German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Countries:

Global

Overall term:

2015 to 2018

Context

HIV, tuberculosis and malaria kill several million people each year and are responsible for a high burden of disease in many countries around the globe. In 2002, the international community founded the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with an annual budget of nearly USD 4 billion for commitments to programmes in over 140 partner countries. In addition to preventing and treating the three diseases, the main focus is on strengthening health systems, human rights and gender equality.

Global Fund grants have enabled recipient countries to improve and expand their health services in recent years. This has made a crucial contribution to fighting the three diseases. In order to use the grants effectively and efficiently, the countries must be able to submit project applications to the Global Fund that meet the criteria for support, and comply with good governance and risk management requirements. Other challenges include mainstreaming the supported programmes in the health sector and providing key and vulnerable populations with access to basic health services.

This is where BACKUP Health’s work begins: since 2002, the global health programme has been assisting government and civil society partners with submitting applications and using Global Fund grants effectively, transparently and efficiently. BACKUP works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Since 2013, the programme has been co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Objective

Selected countries implement programmes financed by the Global Fund more efficiently and effectively with respect to coordination in the health sector, health systems strengthening and management.

Approach

BACKUP Health supports better implementation of the programmes financed by the Global Fund. It helps ensure that grants are used efficiently and in a manner that is geared to the target group and to strengthening health systems. In so doing, it boosts the effectiveness and sustainability of the funded activities. Indirectly, this improves people’s access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment measures for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as to other health services.

The programme supports cooperation partners in three main intervention areas:

  • Governance of Country Coordinating Mechanisms for Global Fund programmes and their coordination in the health sector

    The capacities of Country Coordinating Mechanisms are strengthened, enabling them to better manage applications submitted to the Global Fund and the programmes to be implemented. BACKUP also helps to improve coordination and integration of these bodies’ activities in the health sector.

  • Use of Global Fund grants for strengthening health systems


    Partners are assisted in mainstreaming health systems strengthening in the applications they submit to the Global Fund. In this way, the Global Fund makes a greater contribution to strong, adaptable and sustainable health systems, offering better protection from diseases and outbreaks.

  • Management capacities of Global Fund recipients

    BACKUP strengthens Global Fund recipients’ systems to ensure that programmes are implemented in line with contractual agreements and to minimise the improper use of grants. In particular, support is provided in the areas of risk and financial management, monitoring and reporting, as well as the management of sub-recipients.

Alongside these core intervention areas, there are several cross-cutting themes: participation by civil society and key and vulnerable populations, human rights and gender equality.

Results

Thanks to BACKUP support, Country Coordinating Mechanisms are better able to monitor the implementation of programmes financed by the Global Fund. Members of these bodies in Mongolia, Sudan, Morocco and Zimbabwe have improved their knowledge of internal processes, standards and forms of participation. This has enabled the bodies to function better and to meet Global Fund requirements.

Cooperation with international non-governmental organisations, such as Aidspan and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, has improved the capacity of grant recipients to manage risk and is preventing the misuse of funds. Aidspan has established a civil society watchdog programme in 15 countries, which has increased the transparency of the programmes financed by the Global Fund. In cooperation with the International Planned Parenthood Federation, needs-based health services have been established in four countries for key populations, such as men who have sex with men, and drug users.

BACKUP’s activities improve the management capacities of grant recipients, encourage greater civil society participation, and promote human rights and gender equality during the submission of applications and in the use of funds.

Additional information