How can the Global Fund ensure that previous investments in malaria are not lost?
An article out today in Malaria Journal, Global fund financing to the 34 malaria-eliminating countries under the new funding model 2014-2017: an analysis of national allocations and regional grants, presents the projected increase or decrease in national and regional funding to 34 eliminating countries* under the Global Fund’s new funding model. The new funding model began in 2011 and prioritizes grants to higher burden, lower income countries.
The paper (from MEI authors Brittany Zelman, Melissa Melgar, Erika Larson, Allison Phillips and Rima Shretta) presents these main findings:
- A cumulative 31% decrease in national financing from the Global Fund is expected for the 34 malaria-eliminating countries;
- With the addition of regional grants, a 31% decrease in national funding is augmented to a cumulative 32% increase in funding for malaria-eliminating countries; and
- If countries receive the maximum possible funding, 46% of the countries included in this analysis would receive less than they received under the previous funding model.
Based on these findings, the study concludes that because national and regional grants do not necessarily fund the same categories of malaria activities, maintaining funding through a mix of these two grant types is essential for sustaining progress towards a malaria-free world. Therefore, if the Global Fund is able to create a more nuanced allocation formula or a mix of other mechanisms to invest in malaria eliminating countries, it can ensure that previous investments in malaria are not lost.
*The 34 eliminating countries included in this research are based on a list from early 2015.