News Releases

Global Fund and Tanzania Deepen Partnership to Fight COVID-19 and Accelerate End of HIV, TB and Malaria

17 August 2021

DODOMA – The Global Fund and the Government of Tanzania are deepening their partnership with new investments to fight the COVID-19 crisis and accelerate the end of the epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria while building resilient and sustainable systems for health.

During a virtual launch ceremony, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania, and Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, announced the approval of US$112 million to support Tanzania’s COVID-19 response. The funds, channeled through the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism, will help Tanzania procure medical oxygen, increase access to COVID-19 diagnostics, protect health workers with personal protective equipment (PPE), mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on HIV, TB and malaria services, strengthen health systems, particularly laboratory and surveillance capacities, and raise the awareness of the population.

The new funding for COVID-19 comes on top of US$608 million that was approved for the 2021-2023 implementation period. The grants seek to support Tanzania’s efforts to build resilient and sustainable systems for health and expand access to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services through four strategic initiatives: finding missing cases of TB, scaling up prevention services for adolescent girls and young women, increasing access to TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV, and HIV self-testing.

“Tanzania welcomes Global Fund’s renewed commitment to back our fight against COVID-19, HIV, TB and malaria and support our efforts to build resilient systems for health,” said Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan. “Global Fund’s support in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria in Tanzania goes back to two decades ago and together we have achieved remarkable results. We are committed to continue working together to tackle this new pandemic and mitigate its knock-on effects.”

“We commend President Hassan’s strong leadership in the fight against COVID-19,” said Peter Sands. “We celebrate the remarkable efforts that have brought Tanzania this far in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and we look forward to working closely with the Government of Tanzania and our partners to beat COVID-19, protect our hard-won gains against HIV, TB and malaria and achieve the ambitious targets of the new grants.”

Since 2003, the Global Fund has signed over US$3.5 billion in investments to accelerate the end of the three diseases as epidemics and strengthen systems for health across the country. Between 2015 and 2019, Global Fund- supported programs coupled with Tanzanian robust national strategies led to a 14% decline in new HIV infections, a 23% decline in TB incidence and a 20% decline of confirmed malaria cases.

The Global Fund has already deployed over US$1 billion globally to fight COVID-19 and mitigate the impact on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in more than 100 countries. The Global Fund is now the primary channel for providing grant support for the COVID-19 response to low- and middle-income countries on tests, treatments (including medical oxygen), PPE and health system strengthening. The Global Fund is seeking to secure an additional US$6.3 billion to respond to the most immediate and urgent needs and play our part in the global fight against COVID-19.