The India Working Group for Health Advocacy (IWG)1 and Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) co- organized the Communities & Civil Society (CS) Planning Meeting on 16 & 17 Jan 2019 at Le Méridien New Delhi, India, in preparation of and to support India communities & CS in key priorities and activities leading up to the Sixth Replenishment Preparatory Meeting hosted by India on the 7 & 8 Feb 2019 and Sixth Replenishment Pledging Conference hosted by France on 10th Oct 2019 in Lyon, France. The meeting also provided an opportunity for community & CS partners from HIV, TB and malaria in uniting their voices in strengthening their responses towards the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda and increased domestic financing towards the three diseases.
The two-day meeting was attended by over 50 India community & CS partners from the three diseases, and regional and global civil society partners, member from the Communities & NGO Delegations to the Board of the Global Fund, and in part, technical partners, private sector, and a representative from The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
Day one of the meeting focused on providing participants information on the Global Fund Replenishment Process, the Global Fund Investment Case, Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) Get Back On Track to End the Epidemics Report,
activities conducted by the IWG (including workplan preparations post this meeting on broader work and advocacy areas) and a group discussion on joint activities for successful advocacy towards a fully funded Global Fund.
Day two of the meeting included site visits to HIV & TB organisations – Samarth for MSM & TG community-led testing, care and support centre (CSC), Global Fund funded Vihaan Programme & Delhi Divine TB Centre located in New Delhi in the morning, and joint discussions with the private sector (attended by Reliance Foundation and Lalit Suri Hospitality Group) on their engagement and contributions, and a panel discussion with technical partners and CS (WHO India, Stop TB Partnership, CS4ME and TB Reach India) on the expected engagements within the India health landscape in the afternoon.
Participants identified key opportunities for activities and advocacy towards a fully funded Global Fund including work areas of the IWG beyond the Sixth Preparatory Meeting and Pledging Conference, using opportunities such as G20 hosted by Japan, and working more closely with country and regional partners. GFAN AP will be coordinating an action with regional and country partners following the heels of the Sixth Preparatory Meeting.
PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON THE 17TH JANUARY 2019
A press conference was organised on the morning of the 17th January, following the release of the Executive Summary of the Global Fund Investment Case on the 9 Jan 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France. The Investment Case called for a minimum of US$14 billion for the three-year allocation period of 2020 – 2022.
The press conference was aimed to highlight the urgency and need of a fully funded Global Fund and to reiterate the ask from communities & CS of US$16.8 to 18 billion, the need for the Government of India to increase its pledge from US$20 to US$40 million for the Sixth Replenishment, and for the Government of India to increase its current contribution of 1.2% to 2.5% of its GDP to health and to fully fund HIV, TB and malaria programmes.
News Articles:
The speakers of the press conference (from left to right) were Mr Masaki Inaba – Programme Director for Global Health, Africa Japan Forum; Dr Shampa Nag – Consultant, Caritas India; Dr Abhijeet Das – Moderator for the Press Conference; Ms Kate Thomson – Head, Community, Rights & Gender Department of the Global Fund; Ms Dianne Stewart – Head, Donor Relations of the Global Fund; Ms Daxa Patel – President of National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India; Ms Maurine Murenga – Board Member of the Communities Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund; and Ms Mona Balani – National Coalition of TB People in India.
The Press Release in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesian, Japanese, South Korean can be found here.
• The Millenium Post The Millennium Post – Combating HIV, TB and Malaria (17.01.2019)
• The Week magazine – Bouquets and brickbats for India’s fight against TB, HIV and Malaria (17.01.2019)
• Navodaya Times (17.01.2019)
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