GF/B52/EDP06
Approved by the Board on: 17 January 2025
Limited Extension of COVID-19 Response Mechanism Investments
The Board acknowledges that:
- certain programs require additional time to enable quality scale-up and maximum impact of C19RM investments in resilient and sustainable systems for health and pandemic preparedness and response;
- extending the C19RM implementation period by one year, through 31 December 2026, would allow such programs to reach full maturity and ensure their sustainability and integration into broader health systems; and
- without the extension, there is a risk of not achieving these programmatic outcomes.
Therefore, the Board:
- approves delegated authority to the Secretariat to operationalize and approve a limited extension to the C19RM implementation period for certain programs through 31 December 2026, including through the use of Centrally Managed Limited Investments and any Audit and Finance Committee-approved portfolio optimization awards;
- affirms that countries not approved for limited extension by the Secretariat will maintain the 31 December 2025 deadline and will be closed-out in line with existing policies and frameworks for C19RM and core HIV, TB and malaria grants; and
- agrees that all other parameters of C19RM under GF/B48/DP03 remain unchanged.
Budgetary Implications
Budgetary implications (included in, or additional to, OPEX budget): Incremental management and operating costs directly attributable to C19RM will increase by 0.5% (from 4.5% to 5%).