thomasrn - Apr 09, 2006

Heath, great discussion.
I am a nurse and I understand the magnitude that an epidemic like AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria can have on our country. I would like to say that it is unique associations such as this one that helps to enhance education and provides funding to help develop a cure to stop these diseases. I have enjoyed reading your comment and agree with many of your statement. Hopefully with continual funding and research, these diseases will soon be in the past. I agree that the Global Fund is an exceptional group that makes a difference in the overall deliverance of services and care that it offers to millions of people. Sadly, large numbers of people are dying every day due to these diseases but hopefully with the support from Global Fund, a cure will soon be developed. I think that lack of knowledge is one of the biggest problems that we are faced with and Global Fund has a distinctive role with providing educational opportunities to others.

Mar 02, 2006

Message from O.K. Churchill, 2 March, 2006.

I consider past efforts as inadequate because the Global Fund has not been able to develop a structure that allows it to reach out and fund specific community based activities; rather we have been made to understand that the proposals we develop have been incorporated to support central government or Ministry of Health initiatives in healthcare service provision, yet the said essential material and services are largely lacking. Home country secretariats: My position is that until the Global Fund creates home country secretariats to receive and approve funding requests from the National Aids Councils, and until they develop or work together with health ministry officials in the monitoring and evaluation of disbursements, the use and distribution of these resources in healthcare service provision in Africa will still be inadequate.

This (Africa) is a continent where accountability to the public is sometimes hindered by ethnicity, tribalism and corruption. Please do a case study of (some East and West African countries) and instead of fairplay you will witness ethnic balkanization and corruption as vital resources are misused. Impartiality: The need for international expatriates is not due to lack of capacity but due to lack of impartiality among professionals drawn from local levels. In Kenya they have just sacked the National Aids Council Coordinator, supposedly because his place of origin differs from that of the higher authorities. What do you expect?

Thank you,
OK.Churchill
Journalist.

Feb 25, 2006

Message form Ashish Srivasta, India

This brief has also been submitted to WHO suveillance and response department. Please consider its contrent for the GLOBAL FUND's strategic positioning.

Air pollutants i.e. OCS (organochlorides), carbon pollutants, ACM(ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MATERIAL) are major cause of PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS. Please consider this note for strategic position for prevention of Tuberculosis/Lung diseases for South-east ASIA.
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The role of computed tomography (CT) & helical computed tomography scanning are well defined in lung diseases. Diagnostic value of scintigraphic imaging & VATS (video assisted thoracoscopy are well defined in management of nosocomial (accquired in a healthcare setting or as a result of medical care) pulmonary infection in patients undergoing intensive care, severe lower respiratory tract infection, chronic bronchitis, community accquired infection.

Lack of techniques for obtaining cytology, thoracentesis, bronchoscopy, invasive diagnostic approaches, magnitude of lung cancer has been increased. For primary & secondary prevention please coordinate international organisations (e.g. International Labour Organization-ILO) with W.H.O expert committees for legislative & restrictive diagnostic & therapeutic measures....

Ashish Srivasta

Feb 25, 2006

Message from Nicholas T. Kingazi, Tanzania

The role of the Fund should continue to be that of fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. However, there is a need of making the Fund look more meaningful on the same objectives by extending its role to the problems facing the victims of the diseases in question for example, poverty, hunger, malnutrition , etc.

For sure this time of severe hunger facing most countries particulary in the less developed ones, patients with AIDS who are also poor, cannot afford to have a meal that can supplement their nutrient requirements. Now, what is the Fund doing to this? Poor people in the villages who are living in mud built houses, cannot afford to buy mosquito nets. What is the Fund doing to assist them reduce vulnerability to malaria?

The Fund should also look into ways of involving the communities and health providers in the planning process including the provision of education on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

More inputs are being awaited and will be forwarded asp.

Thank you,


Nicholas T.Kingazi.
CRDB Bank Limited.

Feb 21, 2006

Message from Luc Comhaire

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 2 Location: Belgium Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:32 am
Post subject: Future Role of GFATM for what TB concerns
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The future role will certainly be important in terms of short-time impact. Whether its effect will be long-lasting will depend on GFATM's capacity to strengthen the sustainability of existing TB control programmes.
Hence not only disease-oriented objectives but also programme-related objectives regarding sustainability need to be considered when proposals are discussed. From what I've seen so far, I get the impression that the "sustainability-dimension"is not given sufficient attention.
At moments of evaluation such will inevitably come at the surface.
_________________
Luc Comhaire
Project Manager
Damien Foundation (Belgium)
Boulevard Léopold II, 263
1081 Brussels
Belgium

Feb 21, 2006

Message from Krisi
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:51 am Post subject: in regards to treatment and pandemics

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as a nurse and emt i deal with alot of people and it scares me to say but most of the people i speak with have no idea about aids in africa nor do they have any idea of what a pandemic is. the first way to get a point across is to educate the peaople about what is happening, pictures, articles, letters whatever it may take to give people the knowlrdge they need to understand and then maybe help out a little.

Feb 21, 2006

Message from rosejoshi

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal, Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject: Fund for the treatment component

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How do I express my feelings!! In a diplomatic manner, or as an activist?
I would prefer to answer the questions as an activist 'coz I am an activist living with HIV(1997). My language may perhaps hurt and pinch diplomats a little bit, but reality always bites!

Involvement of the GF team as an observer in each Nation is crucial to monitoring every thing.

If I may express my opinion in a direct way, then the reality is that the role of the Fund is undermined by what goes on in my country (Nepal) , e.g a lot of money is spent on consultants or monitoring budgets, and whoever is close to the system or embraces its corrupt ways. Which is the real experience based on the ground level for us (In Nepal).

Such as: Four different RRF (Rapid Response Fund) announced with the total amount for 5,000 dollars each and total 20,000 dollars for which donors usually unnecessarily spend 80,000 dollars over the consultants and monitoring for the four different RRF programs.

My Perspective:
People living with disease must be given priority and treated with respect at all levels. Their representation from the grassroots is a major factor and they could play a vital role in mobilising funds/ monitor the fund. My country Nepal, which is renowned as the birth place of Lord Buddha, Highest Mountains in the World Mt. Everest, with fascinating culture, has become a famous global tourist destination. Currently, it is facing political problems due to the internal conflict between Maoists, who control a huge part of the country, and the government. Political conflict has diverted the government's attention from the fight against these diseases. Each month we have new leaders and each month we have to teach them the old topics related to disease. I wonder if I would have been born in Europe or some where in America at least I could have received proper treatment.

As a part of the International level they (International Team) must decide the composition of each National based team, and who to fund like in the case of Thailand. We are fed up of our country's politics, which leads to changes of the CCM chairmen and National AIDS Directors.

There is great need for a strong institutional mechanism with the involvement of International efforts to define whether the funds are misused or for people to know how funds are being used.

As a part of the HIV/AIDS work in Nepal, there are a maximum of 35 support groups run by and for People Living with HIV, whose numbers could be expanded in the near future because of the impact of the HIV epidemic overall in the country. We (Nepal) have no support group for people with Malaria or T.B. All the resources related with these two diseases are being mobilized through negotiations with government hospitals, which have a tendency to manipulate.


HIV/AIDS ultimately runs the risk of being thought of from a business point of view by everyone except people with disease, so a unique thing that the GF would do is to engage the private sector with the purpose of educating the world to improve the quality of knowledge available around the world (Prevention is better then cure). The most improtant dream for people living with diseases are adequate diagnosis centers with proper equipments and good technicians. Obviously, drugs are important in improving the quality of life and maintaining respect, which are the fundamental needs of people with diseases. Still, the Global Fund alone cannot manage to put all these in place, if I am not wrong.

In Nepal, the Global Fund may have to nominate its own sub committee at the National Level with the involvement of people living with disease from grass roots to the national level, since the country is undergoing political conflict and connot utilise the GF money properly. Besides that, GF should have to think to reintegrate its own strategy for resource-poor settings in different countries, where people with diseases can provide services widely using the Fund's resources. Different bilateral agencies' involvement in terms of encouraging local organizations to build up and strengthening their capacity with proper, up to date supervision with the purpose of creating an enabling environment for all people living with diseases at all level, and by lobbying the government to formulate legislation to re-enforce the right of people living with disease to be treated with dignity.
_________________


With Love and Hug
Rose Joshi

Feb 21, 2006

Message from Christina (tort5670):


Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Posts: 1
Location: PENNSYLVANIA USA
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject:

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MY NAME IS CHRISTINA AND I LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA, USA. I HAVE BEEN TO TANZANIA, AFRICA ON TWO OCCASIONS, WORKING WITH MISSIONARIES ON SHORT-TERM BUILDING PROJECTS AND MEDICAL CLINICS. I CHOSE TO SUPPORT THE GLOBAL FUND FINANCIALLY BECAUSE IT IS TARGETED TO THREE DISEASES THAT ARE PREVENTABLE YET CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LIVES OF BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS. I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR ABOUT THE RED CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS INTENDED TO ENGAGE PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS VIA DONATIONS TO THE GLOBAL FUND. I WILL SUPPORT THIS NEW INITIATIVE, BECAUSE IT WILL RAISE AWARENESS AROUND THE WORLD AND (IDEALLY) RESULT IN MORE FUNDS BEING DONATED TO THIS WORTHY CAUSE.

Feb 21, 2006

Contribution by Sammi Fredenburg

Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Seattle, Washington USA
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:07 am
Post subject: Re: Strategic Positioning



I see your point, Becky, in regards to the importance of hospice and palliative care. It is one of the areas, a very important area, to ensure that those in advanced stages of these diseases are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. And that i hope speak volumes to those on the other end of the diagnosis, presenting them with a future worth living and fighting for. That in itself to me seems to be a contributor in the prevention as well as the healing process, and hopefully will gain consideration for a respectable share of the funding.

Today my world was rocked by news, not too uncommon it seems, of another friend being diagnosed with *** cancer. Yet after the initial shock and sadness, the news is met by both her and i that we will beat this monster. That the *** is scheduled to be removed, chemo will destroy the bad cells, and she will live long and prosper. Those feelings are based on history, of successes, on hope. I wish that sort of fight to rise up in any diagnosis of AIDS/HIV, TB, or Malaria in subsaharan africa, or anywhere for that matter. She is gifted by being born in the west, into a government that values medicine and education. The Global Fund is here for those born with an accident of latitude, and I appreciate it very much! Hopefully those inflicted will be able to view their diseases one day not too far down the road as we do. . . . that while we wait for a cure, there is no need to resign to anything other than a full and productive and long life.

That the Global Fund consists of diversified funds, going into a diversity of programs, is honorable. That it can be made available to existing programs that are thriving and assist valuable programs that are stuggling is selfless in itself. It's great to see a program that is not bent on reinventing the wheel, insisting on being there from the ground level. Funneling NGO's and government and private and corporate entities together, than extracting them to their utmost good, is the ultimate in coexistence. The integrity of transparancy is appreciated. And the structure of a business model is something i've seen successful in the likes of organizations like World Vision in the last decade.

Thanx,
Sammi Fredenburg
Seattle, Washington USA

Feb 21, 2006

Contribution by Becky McDonald

Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Clearwater, Florida, US
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:19 pm
Post subject: Strategic Positioning

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I think it's extremely important for the Global Fund to broaden their definitions of "treatment" and "fighting the pandemics" to include palliative and hospice care for those dying of HIV/AIDS throughout the globe. No matter how many resources are brought to bear on the fight against AIDS, there will never be enough resources to treat every man, woman and child with AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa. As well, many people are diagnosed so late with the disease and so physiically compromised, they cannot take ARV's even when available.

With 6300 deaths per day from HIV/AIDS in SubSaharan Africa alone, and hospices and palliative care rograms caring for many others who are on treatment, any well planned initiative around treatment for AIDS should include funding of hospice and palliative care programs...to assure the very best symptom control and the very best end of life care possible.
_________________
Becky McDonald
Vice Chair
Foundation for Hospices in Sub Saharan Africa

Feb 21, 2006

Contribution by Sammi Fredenburg

Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Seattle, Washington USA
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:41 am
Post subject: Re: Countries not meeting set targets( or level 3 indicators


I can understand the frustration in regards to the protocol which delays the life-saving actions that could be taking place, but i can also appreciate the accountability that protocol brings to the funds. As a relatively new program, it may take a while for the flow of accountability and communications to work as a well-oiled machine.

The Gates Foundation provided my son's junior high school with a million dollar grant for a groundbreaking educational model a few years back. It was studied extensively by the staff on campus for a year prior to launch. Yet the most difficult thing, especially in the first year, was accountability. The Gates Foundation not only brings their wallets to the table but also their brains when it comes to grants and funds. And demands accountability, wants to know the funding has been well spent! And I admire that. It will keep the funding from, as I understand in the past, redecorating presidential palaces.

I believe the Global Fund runs under the same premise. And as hard as it is to trust the processes, i feel that we must, and actually have no other alternatives.

Having said this, my heart beats as yours for the losses in the meantime.

Sammi Fredenburg
Seattle, Washington, USA

Feb 21, 2006

Contribution by Richard Hoff II
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 1

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:33 am
Post subject: Countries not meeting set targets( or level 3 indicators)


In some Countries where the Global fund Have given Money for Program implemetation, indicators that were set to achieve at the end of a given quarter is not been achieve. the fact is that the PRs some of whom are UN agency have a lot of Protocol which delays the disbursment of funds to SRs and even delay drugs and other life saving Materials which could have help save more lives.

ndegwa - Feb 07, 2006

I think that, in general, donor agencies focus too much on short-term interventions. A typical example is famine relief efforts: for decades we have been receiving millions worth of relief food to the arid and semi arid areas of Kenya and Ethiopia. These are regions whose climatic and physical conditions cannot support agriculture, the mainstay of majority of rural populations. Instead of routine relief support, shouldn't the funds be used towards long-term sustainable initiatives (water supply, alternative economic activities, e.g. bees, handicrafts, etc)?

The Global Fund should work towards avoiding this trap. The strategy should be more towards long-term solutions, i.e. via research, vaccinations, biological/ecological controls (e.g. of mosquitos), availability of affordable drugs, awareness/education, prevention, etc as well as support for related issues like poverty.

Sammi Fredenburg - Feb 07, 2006

Hello:

I believe this remarkable fund has already set a precidence on what it will be like in the future. It's establishment is one that works outside the boxes of norm; that in itself will cause many to sit up and take a good deep look. No other program is as widely inclusive from both the intake and output levels, and actively pursues mass diversification. I believe it will be highly successful and actually become a prototype for other programs.

I anticipate it becoming more and more of a unifying balm between NGO's and NNGO's that so often function as independant entities, even in the neediest of regions. By bringing representation of all leadership and financial entities to the table (government, commerce, private, etc) a balance will hopefully be maintained. And I can see it ever evolving to address new and relevant illnesses and issues that rise as time goes on.

Measureable progress will be a substantial factor in the future sucess I believe. I know were I a potential donor, I would be looking for a track record of success and accountability when considering a part in the Global Health Fund.

thank you,
Sammi Fredenburg

jyotirmayee2000 - Feb 07, 2006

Hallo,all friends,
I am D k mohanty,Health co-ordinator,of Jyotirmayee Mahila samiti,Orissa,India,working for the RCH.The contribution of the Global fund in the field of health is remarkable for the Humanbeing.
It should reach more quickly near the grass root organisations, so that the needy persons will get quality and immediate services at the time of need.There are several net work is working under NRHM,scheme under Ministry of health,Of Government of India.The high child /mother mortality rate,Maleria and T.B is growing more day by day.

If the global fund helps in these net work allready existing, in every district and sub-centres of the country,then all research findings will be implemented immediately at the grassroot.
Thanking you
jyotirmayee2000@yahoo.co.in