The Global Fund will decide on this third approach later in the year. Watch this space ...

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National-Strategy Applications – a new way to apply to the Fund: The Board decided to create a new way in which countries can apply for Global Fund support, in addition to the current rounds-based approach.  In this new approach, a country that has developed a solid national strategy for tackling HIV/AIDS, TB or malaria will be able to apply for Global Fund support for implementation of this strategy.  However, the Fund's requirements for "National-Strategy Applications" will be very strict.  The strategy must be inclusive, costed, comprehensive and prioritized, and must include a workplan and budget.  And the strategy must have successfully undergone a rigorous technical certification by an "independent review mechanism" (IRM).  A key objectives of this whole approach is to make it possible for a country that has developed a high-quality national strategy to submit that strategy for certification by a single IRM and then to obtain support for the implementation of that strategy from the Global Fund and from other funding sources.  This approach is intended to support alignment and harmonization, by being flexible enough to fit with the preferred timing cycles and planning approaches both of the applicant country and of the various funders.  The Board called upon partners to develop a shared certification approach for national strategies and to allow the use of certified strategies as the basis for applications for funding.  The Board hopes to agree at its November meeting on detailed plans for implementation of National-Strategy Applications, including specifying which organizations can serve as IRMs and what criteria they should follow when certifying national strategies.

Global Fund Observer