Voicing community interests in the Global Fund

The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) present Voicing Community Interests in the Global Fund, a how-to guide that aims to strengthen active community engagement within the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) of the Global Fund.

This tool provides practical information for communities of people living with HIV and key populations, which can be adapted to national contexts to ensure that projects implemented by the Global Fund are responsive to the true needs of the community. Additionally, the Guideline stresses the ongoing importance of community-led communication, coordination and consultation, so that people most affected by HIV, TB and Malaria can continually make their voices heard and weigh in on critical issues that affect their treatment, care and prevention programs.

“People Living with HIV hold strategic positions within CCMs and all too often these positions are ineffectively utilized,’’ says Omar Syarif, GNP+’s Program Manager, and author of this tool. “As such, it is critically important that communities affected by HIV are actively involved at all levels of Global Fund decision-making, and this involvement needs to be facilitated in a transparent, accountable and standardized manner, sensitive to local contexts”

The ultimate goal of representation by people living with HIV on CCMs is to ensure that Global Fund financed programs are efficient, impactful and sustainable. This Guideline supports our collective efforts to move incrementally forward towards that goal.