AHEAD of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) progress report due for release soon, stakeholders have tasked the GF Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Nigeria to be more effective in resource mobilization and oversight function of GFATM and United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) grants.The stakeholders under the aegis of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), said that the call is more important in the light of Nigerias change in GF status, possible reduction in grant and the goal of meeting universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support in the country.Speaking at the stakeholders meeting, organized by Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA) in Lagos, PATA Executive Director, Morolake Odetoyinbo, outlined in her update on Global Fund that there had been changes in Nigerias status.Odetoyinbo, who is also a GF board member said: Nigeria is now categorized as a low/middle income country and so does not automatically qualify for funding as a low/low income country.In addition the prevalence rates for HIV in Nigeria were not in the worst category, again funding would not be automatic. So, while Nigeria was unlikely to get general funding it will qualify for specific targeted funding for PMTCT, as Nigeria accounted for 32 per cent of all such cases globally, she said.CCMs Second Vice-Chair, Mrs. Funmi Doherty, however shared that while some improvements have been made in the CCM, a lot still remains to be done and that the CCM is open to ideas and suggestions on the way forward especially from CSOs.Participants in their contributions expressed concern about the current status and stressed the need for improved local funding, accountability to ensure ownership and sustainability of intervention programmes.The meeting attended by 26 representatives of 24 CSOs, expressed their concerns among which included effective communication and feedbacks between CSOs and their representatives at the CCM operated.They also noted that there is still conflict of interest in Nigerias CCM, as it is peopled by organizations who are principal and sub-recipients. This affects her monitoring role and contradicts the number one guiding principle of the Global Fund, which operates as a financial instrument, not an implementing entity.Lack of strong monitoring and means of verification of the activities of the GF Principal Recipients (PRs). The CCM depends on reports sent in by PRs, and does not do much about physical verification of claims made in the report. This sometimes results in disparity between work actually done and what is presented in the reports.A case was one of Nigerias report that was sent to the Global Fund. An independent evaluation carried out by the GF showed the report submitted exaggerated on work actually done.To avoid conflict of interest, and to ensure the CCM carries out her primary monitoring role responsibility effectively, members of the CCM should not be Principal or Sub-Recipients of the Global Fund. This suggestion is in line with the number one guiding principle of the Global Fund, to operates as a financial instrument, not an implementing entityThe participants added that a strong mechanism should be put in place to ensure physical verification of reports of activities sent in by principal recipients. Minutes of CCM meetings, Constituency Representatives reports, updates on CCM membership should also be constantly posted on the CCM website. Also on the CCM website should be a comprehensive list of Principal Recipients, Sub-Recipients and Sub-sub Recipients, amounts received and the sites where they are working to facilitate tracking of performance and quality of service delivery.A strong mechanism should be established by the CCM to monitor and track the level of consultation and feedback/proper information flow between the representatives and the constituencies they represent.To act as civil society watchdog and ensure transparency and accountability from civil society, the government and implementing partners a watchdog mechanism with the name Civil Society Health Watch was launched at the meeting.Its mission is to monitor health response in Nigeria and raise our voices for equitable, transparent and accountable programming.Among the objectives of the Health Watch is to increase transparency and accountability in Nigerias AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis (ATM) response, enhance quality assurance, improve feedback mechanism in health interventions, and promote effective utilisation of health resources in Nigeria.
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