Three grant agreements totaling $80.68 million were inked by the Ministry of Finance’s Economic Relations Division (ERD) with the Global Fund.
These agreements, which were signed with the Global Fund for Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Malaria Programs Dhaka, Bangladesh, represent a significant step in supporting national initiatives to eradicate malaria in Bangladesh and control tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, and the disease.
According to an ERD news release, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will serve as the executing agency for these essential health programs, which are designed to combat these diseases, and they are scheduled to be implemented in 2024–2026.
Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of the ERD, conducted the signing ceremony attended by Md Jahangir Alam, Secretary, Health Services Division, along with other key officials from the UN Wing, ERD.
National and Global Goals:
Bangladesh aims to effectively combat tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and malaria, and achieve the elimination of these diseases by 2035 for TB and 2030 for HIV and malaria. These goals are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Specifically, post-transition from the Global Fund (GF) Grants support, the focus is on building the health system to offer sustainable treatment and care support for TB, malaria, and HIV within the current government health framework.
The Bangladesh Country Coordinating Mechanism (BCCM), led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare having members from the government, non-government and CSOs oversees the implementation of the fund. Bangladesh assumes higher portfolio in receiving the fund among 135 countries.
The Global Fund’s Role in Bangladesh:
The Global Fund, the largest multilateral fund dedicated to health issues and a crucial international organization, is a vital player in the global battle against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Since 2003, the organization has consistently supported Bangladesh’s government programs, including substantial contributions to the national malaria elimination program and the efforts to combat tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. It is noteworthy that Bangladesh’s largest grant budget went to this project.
