19th November, 2007
AMREF welcomes decision that Global Fund money can now be used for health systems
The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) welcomes the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s new announcement that money can now be used for strengthening health systems.
Previously, funds were only given for HIV, TB and malaria as vertical components, but after much discussion, this has been widened to include ‘strengthening public, private or community health systems’. Health systems include the different components needed to deliver effective health care, such as formal and community health workers, health referrals, health information, laboratories and drug supplies.
Dr Daraus Bukenya, AMREF’s director for community partnering says: “It is vital that the Global Fund provides money to strengthen health systems, as it is impossible to deal with the challenges of HIV, TB and malaria without sufficient health workers and a functioning health system on the ground.”
For example, it is impossible to increase access to anti-retroviral drugs, if there are not enough qualified health workers to administer these drugs or the supply chain is nonfunctional.
Dr Bukenya adds: “Funding for community health workers must also be a priority, as they have a major part to play in addressing the challenges of the three biggest killers and act as a bridge that links communities and their health systems, especially in prevention, referrals and home-based care.”
Funds can be only be used for health system strengthening if doing so makes it easier for the country to combat the three diseases. But the Global Fund newsletter stipulates that if there are broader benefits, so much the better.
By strengthening health systems, AMREF believes that we can not only improve services for HIV, TB and malaria, but we can improve health care services across the board and begin to address other important health issues, such as maternal mortality, for example.
Lastly, more funds are needed to improve diagnostic services, health information management and referral systems, which will hugely benefit HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria services, but again will improve health care services for all.
Dr Bukenya concludes that if the Global Fund is serious about strengthening health systems to improve HIV, TB and malaria services, it has to change how it administers the fund. This means a review and revision of the current Global Fund guidelines for proposal development,as well as criteria and tools for proposal assessment and performance monitoring and evaluation so that health systems strengthening is seen to be an integral part of country proposals and is implemented.