Côte d’Ivoire and Global Fund Launch New Grants to Continue Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria and Strengthen Health Systems
01 March 2024
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire, together with health partners, has signed six new grants worth EUR 230 million. The new grants will support the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria while strengthening health systems over the 2024-2026 period.
The malaria funding intends to support the country’s work to achieve the global targets of reduced incidence and mortality due to malaria by at least 75%. Grant funds will support increased coverage of malaria testing and treatment in public facilities and at community level, provide latest-generation mosquito nets adapted to insecticide-resistance patterns, and strengthen efforts to provide preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy. Funds will target populations living in difficult-to-reach areas and focus on children under 5 and pregnant women.
The HIV grant aims to reduce new infections by 70% and deaths by 50% (compared to 2015) and contribute to the global 95-95-95 targets by 2026. Funding will also support reduction of stigma and discrimination, as well as strengthen community systems to empower community-based organizations to participate actively in the HIV response. Activities will focus on reaching at-risk and key populations with prevention and testing services at the community level, including self-testing and pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
The TB grant aims to find more people living with TB , achieve a 90% treatment success rate for all TB cases, and achieve an 80% treatment success rate for all drug-resistant TB cases. Funding will further support TB screening and diagnosis and reduce the burden of HIV among TB patients and the burden of TB among HIV patients, including through the provision of preventative TB treatment.
The grants will also strengthen health systems in Côte d’Ivoire through the deployment of 8,500 community health workers to build a community-led monitoring mechanism and strengthen community-based organizations.
The three Principal Recipients – the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire; Save the Children; and Alliance Côte d’Ivoire, a local non-governmental organization – will implement the grants with support from the communities most affected by the three diseases.
The new grants were signed during a ceremony hosted by Mr. Pierre Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire.
"Through the Country Coordination Mechanism, the Global Fund is supporting the government in strengthening the health system, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.” said Mr. Pierre Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire. "This support has made it possible not only to improve access to treatment and prevention services, but also to reach the most vulnerable populations."
“This grant cycle provides a unique opportunity to build on past successes and support national partners to work towards achieving global and national targets,” said Paula Hacopian, Fund Portfolio Manager, High Impact Africa at the Global Fund. “Addressing human rights-related barriers, focusing on the use of data for targeted interventions, and reaching the most vulnerable are a strong focus of this founding round and closely aligned with the Global Fund Strategy.”
Côte d’Ivoire has made significant progress in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria in the last two decades. The country of 30.2 million people has seen large reductions in AIDS-related deaths (down 83% since 2002) and new HIV infections (down almost 90% since 2002). New cases of TB have fallen by almost 40% since 2002. On the malaria front, the country has made significant efforts to address one of the highest malaria burdens in the world. Global Fund grants have supported a mix of case management, rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin combination therapies, insecticide-treated mosquito net distribution, preventative therapy for pregnant women and other interventions that have led to a 50% decline in malaria-related deaths over the past two decades.