Eswatini and Global Fund launch recent grants to speed up progress within the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and strengthen systems for health – updates

Eswatini and Global Fund launch recent grants to speed up progress within the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and strengthen health systems

September 26, 2024

– The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) and the Government of Eswatini have launched three recent grants price a complete of USD 46.7 million for 2024-2027. The funding will help sustain and expand Eswatini’s progress within the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and strengthen health systems and communities across the country from 2024 to 2027, in keeping with Eswatini’s strategic national plans.

The grants were officially announced today in Mbabane at a ceremony chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Development and members of the Committee on Parliament. Also present were representatives of the UK and US governments, the European Union and the United Nations, in addition to civil society organizations, members of the Eswatini National Coordinating Mechanism, other health partners and Global Fund staff.

The grants will likely be implemented by the National Emergency Response Council for HIV/AIDS (NERCHA) and the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations (CANGO). Eswatini Ministry of Health, civil society partners and communities most affected by these three diseases will support implementation.

“On behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, I would like to thank you for all the support we receive on behalf of Emaswati from the Global Fund,” said Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla. “I would also like to recognize all other bilateral and multilateral partners who support His Majesty’s Government in its efforts to make Eswatini a healthier and productive nation.”

“We express our appreciation for the strong commitment that the government and people of Eswatini have shown to the Global Fund partnership,” said Mark Edington, director of grants management on the Global Fund. “We appreciate the efforts made to fight the three diseases and strengthen health systems under the leadership of the Honorable Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula, with the support of many national partners including NERCHA and CANGO. We are also extremely grateful to our donors for their continued support over the years.”

In the case of HIV and AIDS, the brand new grants aim to make sure universal access to HIV preventive care and treatment, including for vulnerable groups, eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the virus, and develop zero-tolerance programs for HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

For TB, the ambition is to scale back the mortality rate from 85/100,000 cases to 68/100,000 cases, reduce the fee of TB treatment for patients by 2028, and increase outcomes for vulnerable and drug-resistant patients.

For malaria, the goal is to attain 100% coverage of at-risk populations through vector control and the event of a malaria surveillance system that rapidly detects, investigates and responds to malaria cases. The grant may also support community engagement and empowerment to make use of and own malaria eradication measures.

Additionally, to strengthen health systems and higher prepare for future pandemics, the three recent grants include support to strengthen key health system pillars akin to community systems, health product management, laboratory systems, medical oxygen and respiratory care, and surveillance systems.

This is along with USD 22 million from the Global Fund’s Covid-19 Response Mechanism, which focuses on support geared toward strengthening health and pandemic preparedness systems within the country in 2024–2025. These investments have helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic on services and treatment outcomes for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and have strengthened disease surveillance systems, laboratories and diagnostics, and oxygen equipment that also helps fight other emergencies and infectious diseases akin to mpox, cholera and other pathogens.

Eswatini and the Global Fund have been partners since 2003, with total investments of USD 388 million to this point, achieving significant progress within the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and Covid-19 and in strengthening health systems.

On the problem of HIV, in 2020 Eswatini became the primary African country to attain UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. In 2023, 98% of individuals living with HIV knew they were HIV positive, 98% were on antiretroviral treatment, and 98% of those on treatment achieved viral suppression. Eswatini is leading the way in which in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with the launch of injectable cabotegravir PrEP for adult girls and young women. The country has also increased access to the intravaginal dapivirine ring (DPV) in all PrEP facilities.

For tuberculosis, the variety of cases decreased from 1,600/100,000 in 2010 to 325/100,000 in 2022. In 2021, 79% of reported tuberculosis cases were successfully treated.

For malaria in 2023, 100% of suspected malaria cases were parasitologically tested. In the identical 12 months, 81% of households within the targeted areas received indoor residual spraying. Malaria elimination is a priority in Eswatini’s national development program, and national health policy focuses on domestic elimination strategies and cross-border transmission.

As a donor to the Global Fund, Eswatini has contributed $6.3 million to the Global Fund to this point. In 2022, the country committed USD 1 million to the seventh replenishment of the Global Fund covering 2023-2025, demonstrating its commitment to reducing the burden of tri-related diseases and constructing strong and resilient health systems.