In countries where the GF operates, Country Coordinating Mechanisms (hereafter CCMs) were put in place. CCMs are national committees that submit funding applications to the Global Fund on behalf of the entire country. They have also proven as a useful platform for actors from different areas of the national health community – civil servants from Finance and Health Ministries, epidemiologists, faith leaders, representatives of sex workers, women’s rights activists, CSOs etc – to meet, communicate and exchange perspectives.
While CCMs are generally inclusive and operational as long as the GF provides grants to recipient countries, those have no obligation to maintain CCMs in place as such once the GF pulls out, raising questions as to continued inclusiveness of various stakeholders, transparency and ownership of the response in terms of prevention, treatment, or coordination and information-sharing on the long run. Governments should thus put mechanisms in place to ensure that these issues are duly taken care of during and after transitions.