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Program Descriptions

Project Title: Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Budget: FY 2006 GHAI: $29,700,000

Implementing Mechanism: Public International Organization (PIO) Grant

Contact Person(s): Mr. David Stanton (USAID/GH)

Program Description:

The main objective of the PIO grant is to increase significantly UNAIDS� effort to scale up the global response to HIV/AIDS with particular emphasis at the country level. This global response seeks to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS, provide care and support, reduce individual and community vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and mitigate the impact of the epidemic. To achieve these goals, UNAIDS implements activities that:

• Catalyze action and strengthen capacity at country level in the priority areas identified by the Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) including monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization and expansion of civil society involvement; technical assistance and interventions related to security, stability and humanitarian responses;
• Improve the scope and quality of UN support to national partners, through strengthened UN Theme Groups on AIDS, better coordination at the regional level, increasing staff capacity in key areas, and development of more coordinated UN programs in line with national priorities and objectives;
• Increase the accountability of UNAIDS at country level through support for country-level reviews of national HIV/AIDS responses, development of joint UN programs to support countries� responses, and having Theme Groups report annually to PCB;
• Strengthen capacity of countries to gather, analyze and use strategic information related to the epidemic and, in particular, on progress in achieving the goals and targets of the Declaration of Commitment. This includes the Country Response Information System (CRIS). This computerized data management system has been globally disseminated including multiple regional training sessions. In 2006 this system will be modified to facilitate data exchange with PEPFAR data sources;
• Expand the response of the development sector to HIV/AIDS, particularly with respect to human capacity depletion, food security, governance, OVC, and the impact of the epidemic on the public sector (education in particular), as well as on women and girls;
• Sustain leadership on HIV/AIDS at all levels; and,
• Forge partnerships with political and social leaders to ensure full implementation of the Declaration of Commitment and to realize the related Millennium Development Goals.

This program will contribute to achieving critical Emergency Plan goals, including supporting prevention of seven million new HIV infections; supporting treatment for two million HIV-infected individuals; and supporting care for ten million people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children.

Time Frame: FY 2006 - FY 2007

Project Title: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Budget:

FY 2006: USAID CSH $247.5 million
FY 2006: State GHAI $198 million
FY 2006: HHS/NIH $99 million
Maximum U.S. contribution: $544.5 million

Implementing Mechanism: USAID grant to the World Bank acting as Trustee with funding from HHS, State, and USAID accounts.

Contact Person(s): Tracy Carson (Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator).

Program Description:

Participation in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), an international foundation, was conceived to be an integral part of the Administration's global strategy against the three diseases. The initial authorization of the Leadership Act and subsequent appropriations have stipulated terms for United States Government (USG) contributions to GFATM, most notably that USG funds may not constitute more than 33 percent of total contributions to GFATM. Provisions also require additional withholdings of funds if GFATM is found to have provided financial assistance to the governments of states that consistently support terrorism, or for excessive administrative expenses and salaries.

GFATM, created in December 2001, has the legal personality of a public-private, non-profit foundation, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that operates as a provider of grants to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. GFATM does not generate these grants out of its Geneva Secretariat, nor does it work exclusively through governments. Instead, proposals arise out of committees (termed "Country Coordinating Mechanisms") that are intended to consist of local non-governmental organizations (NGO), governments, the private sector, donors and (not least) people living with the diseases. The entities that receive GFATM grants can be public, private or international organizations. The role of the GFATM Secretariat in Geneva is limited to monitoring the performance of grants and sending periodic disbursements of grant money on a quarterly basis from the Fund's trustee account at the World Bank. Under the "Fund model," the Secretariat should not disburse new funds until the grant recipient can demonstrate results from previous tranches of money.

Funding takes place in so-called "rounds," wherein the GFATM Board issues an invitation for grant proposals, and then votes on those proposals that were determined by an independent review panel to be technically sound. Grants normally cover five years, but the Board's initial approval of funding for a grant covers only the first two years. The Board has thus far completed five rounds of grant financing, and made commitments of $4.4 billion to nearly 350 grants in 128 countries.

FY 2006 Program:

The highest funding priority is the renewal of the years three-through-five, or "Phase 2," of previously approved projects. The GFATM Secretariat currently projects that it will have sufficient resources to cover all of these Phase 2 renewals during 2006 and all the grants approved from Round Five. GFATM is beginning to make preparations for a sixth round of grants, but does not currently possess sufficient resources to finance them. The United States� maximum contribution in FY 2006 is $544.5 million, subject to a number of possible statutory and discretionary withholdings. During FY 2006, the U.S. Government will provide technical assistance to assist some GFATM grants that are experiencing implementation bottlenecks and other program management issues.

This program will contribute to achieving critical Emergency Plan goals, including supporting prevention of seven million new HIV infections; supporting treatment for two million HIV-infected individuals; and supporting care for ten million people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children.

Time Frame: FY 2006 � FY 2007