Topics Covered: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTAM)
Context:
Deprived of sources of livelihood during the pandemic, sex workers, transpersons, gay and bi-sexual men, drug users and people living with HIV/AIDS have petitioned the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) protesting against being ignored by government and multilateral agencies in coronavirus (COVID-19) related emergency relief efforts.
- The petitioners urge the GFATM to issue guidance to governments to channelise their COVID-19 relief funds to emergency survival needs of KPs.
About GFTAM:
Popularly known as the Global Fund, it aims to “attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.”
- Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases.
- Secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland.
- The G8 formally endorsed the call for the creation of the Global Fund at its summit in July 2001 in Genoa, Italy
How is it administered?
The Global Fund was formed as an independent, non-profit foundation under Swiss law and hosted by the World Health Organization in January 2002.
- In January 2009, the organization became an administratively autonomous organization, terminating its administrative services agreement with the World Health Organization.
Role of GFTAM:
The Global Fund is a financing mechanism rather than an implementing agency.
Programs are implemented by in-country partners such as ministries of health, while the Global Fund secretariat monitor the programs.
- Implementation is overseen by Country Coordinating Mechanisms, country-level committees consisting of in-country stakeholders that need to include, according to Global Fund requirements, a broad spectrum of representatives from government, NGOs, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and people living with the diseases.
Fundraising:
Since the Global Fund was created in 2002, public sector contributions have constituted 95 percent of all financing raised; the remaining 5 percent comes from the private sector or other financing initiatives such as Product Red.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- When was GFATM established?
- How funds are raised at GFATM?
- Where is its secretariat?
- India’s contributions.
Mains Link:
Write a note on GFATM.
Sources: the Hindu.
