Mozambique and Global Fund Launch New Grants to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria and Strengthen Systems for Health
05 February 2021
MAPUTO – The Global Fund, the Government of Mozambique and health partners in Mozambique today launched the implementation of six new grants to fight HIV, TB and malaria and build resilient and sustainable systems for health. The new grants will cover the 2021-2023 implementation period and aim to expand access to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria prevention services, particularly for key and vulnerable populations.
The new grants, worth US$773,913,181, represent a 49% increase from the previous allocation cycle and are the result of a rigorous and inclusive country dialogue and grant-making process, which were achieved despite the upheavals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants will be implemented by the Ministry of Health, Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade (FDC), Centro de Colaboração em Saúde (CCS) and World Vision International.
Global Fund’s support in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria in Mozambique goes back to 2004, when the first grants were signed. To date, the Global Fund has signed over US$2 billion in investments to accelerate the end of the three diseases as epidemics and strengthen systems for health across the country. This has helped implement a rapid expansion of HIV treatment and has led to a 29% decrease in the number of AIDS-related deaths in the country between 2006 and 2019. In 2019 alone, 95,100 people were treated for TB while between 2007 and 2019, in-patient malaria deaths decreased by 87%.
The new grant agreement intends to expand HIV prevention services to reach approximately 2.1 million in- and-out-of-school adolescent girls and young women and includes new HIV prevention and testing initiatives for key populations. Mozambique aims to increase TB treatment coverage from 60% in 2019 to 80% in 2023, better integrate TB and HIV treatment and prevention and increase multidrug-resistant services by linking them to the overall interventions related to finding missing people with TB.
Additionally, the resources will continue to support the country’s priority to provide universal access to quality malaria diagnostics and treatment tools. An important investment is given to strengthen systems for health and ensure that they are prepared to effectively respond to new health crises, including COVID-19.
During the virtual launch ceremony, Dr. Armindo Tiago, Minister of Health of Mozambique, said: “The Government of Mozambique reaffirms its commitment to continuing to prioritize the health sector, to work hard to combat the three diseases, to strengthen health and community systems and to ensure that the resources allocated through these grants are used effectively and responsibly.”
Mark Edington, Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund, applauded the results achieved in the country and the ongoing efforts of partners in the fight against the three diseases. “Today, we celebrate the remarkable efforts that have brought Mozambique this far in the fight against the three diseases. We look forward to working closely with the Government of Mozambique, UN agencies, civil society and community-based organizations to achieve the ambitious targets of the new grants.”