The Global Fund Grant Cycle Seven (GC7) for Integrated HIV/TB and Malaria Interventions for Liberia to be Launched in Monrovia, Thursday, 11 July, 2024
Press Release
For Immediate Release. Monrovia, Liberia. July 9, 2024
The Global Fund Grant Cycle Seven (GC7) for Integrated HIV/TB and Malaria Interventions for Liberia to be Launched in Monrovia, Thursday, 11 July, 2024.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of the Republic of Liberia is expected to launch the Global Fund Grant Cycle Seven (GC7) covering an Integrated HIV/TB, Resilient Health System Strengthening, a COVID-19 and Malaria grants in Monrovia this week. Combined, the grant amount is US$117,546,670. These resources will augment GOL investment in the health sector which equals US$159.5 million in the FY2024 approved budget. The grant is to finance key interventions under the Global Fund’s New Grant Cycle 7 for the national disease programs mentioned above, including health system strengthening and Wave 2 of COVID-19 investment which spans 2024-2026.
Through its partnership with Liberia, the Global Fund has for nearly two decades resolutely supported the country in improving its health systems and combating diseases especially HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Although ended, the additional resources provided under the COVID-19 funding will help a) strengthen the surveillance system for early warning, detection, and response to emerging threats/outbreaks, b) strengthen the capacity of community systems to respond to outbreaks and emergencies through a patient-centered, human rights and gender-informed response, c) strengthen human resources for health including Community health workers at the national and subnational level to improve competency in event-based surveillance and health service delivery d) strengthen laboratory and diagnostic capacity to enable rapid diagnostic testing of new outbreaks, specimen transportation networks, laboratory information systems, antimicrobial resistance e) strengthen capacity for case management with a focus on hypoxemia and medical oxygen, respiratory care, and therapeutics. As can be seen, these are all objectives that aligns with the new administration in Liberia, ARREST agenda.
According to the Liberian Coordinating Mechanism (LCM) Secretariat which coordinates the Global Fund Investments in Liberia, with the receipt of the GC7 grant resources, Liberia would have benefited a cumulative disbursement of US$391.58 million from the Global Fund since 2004.
Overall, these Global Fund resources have helped to accelerate progress in achieving lower “morbidity and mortality in Malaria for which malaria prevalence rate has dropped significantly from 32% to 10% as reported in the malaria indicator survey of 2022. Correspondingly, Insecticide-treated Mosquito Net (ITNs) coverage has increased markedly from 62% in 2016 to current 72% in 2022. These all point to the success being achieved with the Global Fund and other partners including PMI investments.
For HIV and TB, progress is also notable with efforts towards the achievement of the UNAIDS updated 95-95-95 targets. The updated target aims for 95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95% of those who know their status enroll on treatment, and 95% of people on antiretroviral therapy to have suppressed viral load.
The current achievement of the HIV target related to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 target in Liberia stands at 80% of people living with HIV know their status; 98% of HIV-positive people who know their status and are on ART treatment; and 95% of people on ART have a suppressed viral load.
The new funding under the integrated GC7 aims to further “expand detection of TB cases and TB treatment coverage as well as the management of drug resistant TB patients with more modern diagnostic capability such as the new digital X-ray and Gene-expert diagnostic machines – all as part of the improved tool kit for the diagnosis and treatment of TB in Liberia.
The summary targets under the GC7 grant includes the following:
- Scale up HIV interventions to reach 60% of estimated Key Pop. and vulnerable groups.
- Eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV to less than 2%
- Strengthen Right-based approach to HIV and Health Service Delivery and Reduce GBV
- Strengthen community system and CSO to contribute to accelerating the response.
- Improve Quality strategic information on HIV/AIDS/TB, and its use in decision-making.
- Ensure TB case notification coverage is ≥90% by 2026.
- Increase the proportion of community contribution to TB case notification to 28% of all cases notified annually by 2026.
- Increase TB treatment success rate to ≥90% in 2026.
- Increase DR-TB treatment coverage to 95% in 2026.
- A 90% reduction in Malaria mortality; 50% reduction in incidence.
- Expand and consolidate critical health systems for supply chain, data management, and resilient communities.
The Global Fund new investments under the GC7 will be managed in country by two non-government organizations, Plan International Liberia and the Catholic Relief Services. The two Principal Recipients are not new to serving as grant managers under the Global Fund in Liberia. They have served as sub-recipients under previous alterations of the GF grants in Liberia. The two organizations selected by the LCM, are mandated to work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the grants amounts are used for their intended purpose and to monitor and control the quality of services to be provided under the various interventions.
National and international stakeholders, UN partners and MOH entities under the Global Fund grant implementation are expected to be at the launch of the GC7 grant in Monrovia. Also expected at the event will be leaders and representatives from Civil Society and Faith-based Organizations involved in the implementation of interventions including the Catholic Church HIV Response Project, The Ganta Rehabilitation Hospital and MDR TB Outreach Center, and the Liberia Network of Persons Living with AIDS, amongst Others.
End of Release.
For additional information on the GC7 Integrated HIV/TB Grant please contact Mr. Theo Barbi Roberts – Communications Coordinator, Plan International Liberia. Tel. 0770009050 and Mr. David Z. Logan, GC7 Consultant at Plan International Liberia, Tel. 0770009257.
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