The 49th General Assembly of the Global Fund Board was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from May 8 to 11, 2023. The event was an opportunity for the various Boards of Directors from Europe, America, from Asia and Africa to discuss development strategies, governance oversight, financial resource engagement, organizational performance assessment, risk management, partnership engagement, resource mobilization and advocacy.
The African Council delegation, led by Dr. Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda, was keen to advocate for Africa in the fight against diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and malaria. Composed of about twenty directors from West and Central Africa as well as those from East and South, this strong representative delegation wanted to speak with one voice at this conference in Vietnam.
During this conference, Dr Jean-Jacques Mbungani and his team engaged in a series of discussions with constituency offices around the world, including delegates from the private sector, the General Inspectorate of the Fund, the councils of Germany, France and England for specific discussions. They also spoke with the Commonwealth Development Office. They advocated for the supply of locally produced drugs and placed particular emphasis on the local capacity building policy as well as the involvement of governments and regional and continental structures such as Africa CDC, the structure of the African Union.
The objective of these discussions was to agree on the essential points and the terms of reference which would be the subject of the international meeting, and to make Africa’s voice heard in this assembly. The preliminary discussions were held on the sidelines of the actual session of the 49th General Assembly which took place from May 10 to 11, 2023 in Hanoi and which was attended by all the councils of the world as well as donors and other stakeholders. of the Global Fund.
It is important to note that the Global Fund Board meets on average twice a year. It comprises 20 voting members, with equal representation of implementers and donors. Non-governmental organizations, communities affected by HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, the private sector and private foundations are also represented as voting members. In addition, there are eight non-voting members, including the chair and vice chair of the board, representatives from partner organizations including the World Health Organization and the World Bank, and the donor constituency. additional audiences. Africa has two seats on the Global Fund Board of the 28 available.
In summary, this General Assembly of the Global Fund was an opportunity for the various Boards of Directors to discuss development strategies, oversight of governance, commitment of financial resources, evaluation of organizational performance and advocacy. for effective disease control. The participation of the African delegation, led by Dr. Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda, raised awareness of the importance of the involvement of local governments and regional and continental structures in this fight against diseases such as tuberculosis. , HIV and malaria