Domestic Resources Mobilization Policy Research

at The African Constituency Bureau to the Global Fund
Location Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Date Posted August 8, 2020
Category Business Development
Job Type Full-time
Currency ETB

Description

The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) has two constituencies representing Africa namely the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) and West and Central Africa (WCA) constituencies. The two constituencies took a joined-up approach in 2012 with a twofold intent: to ensure that constituency priorities are reflected in Global Fund strategy and operational plans; and to strengthen the presence, voice and contributions of the constituencies, through their delegations, in all Global Fund processes. The constituencies adopted a new governance framework that amongst other things introduce the concept of establishing a joint ESA and WCA Bureau to support the Board members, alternates, committee members and delegates representing countries from these two constituencies. The Constituencies comprise a total of 47 countries.

The ACB, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ensures effective engagement, representation and participation of African Constituencies, ESA and WCA, in Global Fund Board processes.

BACKGROUND TO THIS OPPORTUNITY

The Global Fund, the biggest multi-lateral mechanism, is at the centre of the global community’s efforts to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030. The fund is in the process of developing its post-2022 strategic plan. There is so much at stake for this plan given it will be the last before the 2030 goal of ending the three epidemics. It cannot be business as usual and the margin for error is therefore extremely limited.

Africa bears the biggest share of the global burden of malaria and HIV and a considerable burden of TB. As the epicenter of the epidemics, it is critical that the continent is at the forefront of developing evidence-based interventions that will turn the tide of these epidemics and engage in discussions on the Global Fund’s next strategy. This will be a huge demonstration of the continent’s ownership of global strategies towards ending the three epidemics in 2030.

While the continent has made some notable progress against the epidemics over the last decadegaps remain.

  • HIV new infections are down from 2.9 million in 2000 1.8 million in 2019;
  • AIDS deaths have fallen from a peak of 2.9 in 2004 to 800,000 in 2019;
  • B incidence has reduced from 300/100,000 people in 2000 to about 200 in 2019;
  • TB deaths have reduced from a high of 2.1 million in 2003 to about 1.8 million in 2019;Malaria incidence has reduced from a peak of 100/1,000 people at risk in 2000 to about 65 in 2019; and
  • Malaria mortality has reduced from 35 per 1,000 people at risk to about 15.

However, notwithstanding all these gains, progress is fragile and any complacency will lead to backtracking on these gains. Countries are off track with respect to achieving to 2020 and 2030 HIV targets (though mortality is declining faster than incidence) with significant scale up of prevention needed. Countries are also off track with respect to 2030 TB incidence and mortality targets. Additionally, countries are off track to achieving 2030 malaria targets even though mortality is declining faster.

A particularly important aspect of the response in order to sustain the gains, is increased funding and domestic funding in particular. Current funding trends suggest development assistance for health (DAH) has at best plateaued and at worst is in decline. To keep abreast with the goals towards 2030, funding will have to be increased and be predictable. African is currently the continent with the least growth in domestic financing for health. This trend will unlikely enable the continent achieve its goals of ending the epidemics by 2030.

Another key challenge to sustainable health financing is the increasingly reported shrinking of fiscal space in many an African country. Increased debt and the resulting debt-serving obligations associated with these, insecurities and fragility of nearly one-third of countries resulting in increased military as opposed to health spending and the Covid-19 pandemic have increased the odds of African countries investing in the health of its people.

However, it is worth noting that African leaders have on many occasions made commitments towards increased funding for health. The following are but a snapshot of these commitments

  • The Abuja Declaration in April 2001;
  • Declaration of the special summit of African Union on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria: dabbed the best “Abuja actions towards the elimination of HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa by 2030”;
  • The African Union Common Position (CAP) on the post-2015 development agenda (January 2014);
  • The Catalytic framework to End AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa by 2030;
  • In 2016, the African Union published the expanding the fiscal space for health;
  • The Africa’s Common Position (CAP) on the UNGA Special Session High Level Meeting on AIDS (2016); and
  • At the Africa Leadership Meeting – Investing in Health, dabbed as the Addis Ababa Call to Action (February 2019).

scope of work

Below is the expected scope of work under this assignment:

  • The consultant is expected to undertake a desk review tapping into the latest available evidence, including from peer-reviewed and published articles, normative evidence from leading technical organizations and think tanks, evaluation and reviews from the Global Fund, technical organizations like UNAIDS, WHO and other research thinktanks on the global and Africa health financing trends and landscape. The consultant will be expected to share these resources for the ACB’s intranet.
  • Identify key global and African commitments towards increasing health spending by African countries and monitor implementation of these resolutions;
  • Documentation of what’s working, what’s not working, key bottlenecks including gaps, best practices, etc. In particular, the consultant is expected to identify countries that have demonstrated a strong commitment towards health spending and the results thereof;
  • Identification of opportunities and key levers the Global Fund and partners can use to ensure the domestic resources mobilization agenda achieves its intended goals;
  • Where possible, the consultant shall be expected to interview and engage with key stakeholders to probe for, and validate, research findings. This shall include participating in the planned Constituency engagement sessions being organized by the ACB to identify the continent’s priority health issues and interventions, as part of a process to provide input to the next strategy for the Global Fund; and
  • Make evidence-informed recommendations on how African countries can navigate through their current health financing challenges and get on track towards sustainable health spending. The recommendations must address identified gaps, opportunities, enablers and levers, and support needed for countries to achieve the health financing resolutions and commitments they have made over the years. The recommendations must be categorical on the role the Global Fund should play to catalyze increased domestic investments in the health sector.

Deliverables:

Under this assignment, the consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

  • Provide an inception report detaining how the work will be achieved. This should be provided one week after signing the contract.
  • A draft report detailing priority issues identified as strategic to Africa towards the next Global Fund strategy, the key findings and recommendations.
  • A final report, no more than 50 pages[, and making use of annexes, detailing the key findings, including:
  • A 3-paged Executive Summary of the desk research providing a synopsis of the key findings and recommendations;
  • Document some best practices globally and in Africa;
  • Recommendations relevant for African countries on how to achieve their various resolutions and commitments towards increased domestic health spending. The recommendations must also be categorical on what role the Global Fund should play towards catalyzing increased domestic spending for health; and
  • A PowerPoint presentation detailing the key findings of the desk review.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

The successful consultant will be expected to complete this assignment within 30 calendar days and should be willing and available to participate in dissemination meeting(s) with various stakeholders, including countries, technical partners and funders.

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

  • An advanced university degree in health economics, health policy, public policy, public health or relevant social sciences such as economics, MBA, etc.
  •  A PhD in a relevant field will be an added advantage.

EXPERIENCE

  • Preferred: A health economist subject matter expert with a minimum of 10 years of experience in global health.
  • Experience undertaking evaluations of HIV programs in Africa and key population interventions in particular.
  • Experience with publishing peer-reviewed scholarly articles, including on various aspects of HIV among key populations in Africa.
  • Experience with disseminating research findings and making conference presentations with relevant stakeholders.

Applying Instructions

Interested consultants are requested to submit a technical and financial proposal for undertaking this 30-day desk review.

Proposal for this Consultancy should be directed to Info Mind Solutions acb@zebrajobs.com on or before August 30th 2020

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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