The Impact of the Global Fund’s Withdrawl on Harm Reduction Programs: A Case Study from Serbia
Publisher: Eurasian Harm Reduction Network
Since the Global Fund has shifted the focus of its 2012-2016 Strategy and investments towards “highest-impact countries,” the EECA has experienced a 15 percent reduction in health funding for three diseases. This is a bigger funding loss than in any other region. The Global Fund’s emphasis on disease burden and income level has meant decreased support to middle-income countries.
The sharp reduction in Global Fund support has resulted in major financial gaps in HIV and AIDS programming in EECA that governments are not prepared to fill. With no transition plan in place and a lack of support from other donors, Serbia is one of several countries that risks losing its previous successes in HIV prevention. Its last HIV grant form the Global Fund ended in 2014 and it is unable to apply for new funding.