Global Financing Facility Announces Selection Process for Next Round of Countries to Receive GFF Support

This post was updated on April 5, 2019 to reflect a new deadline for countries to submit a letter of interest to the GFF secretariat, and on May 3, 2019 to reflect a new timeline for Trust Fund Committee approval. ​

The Global Financing Facility (GFF) has launched a process to select the next round of countries to receive support to help improve the health and nutrition of women, children and adolescents and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The GFF will select eight to 10 countries in this round as part of its efforts to expand assistance to the 50 countries with the highest maternal, newborn and child mortality burdens and the largest financing gaps. Currently, 27 countries receive support from the GFF to tackle the greatest health and nutrition issues.

The GFF secretariat has contacted ministries of finance and health in eligible countries that are not yet receiving GFF funding[1] to request letters of interest in joining the GFF. To be considered for this selection round, countries must submit a letter of interest to the secretariat by April 12, 2019. Only official letters submitted by ministries of finance will be accepted as nominations for this selection round.

The letter should outline the country’s commitment to actively leading GFF processes to help align, prioritize and increase the efficiency and volume of financing for health and nutrition. These processes include:

• Appointing a high-level government focal point
• Defining and coordinating a country platform
• Preparing an investment case that defines high-priority reforms to advance the country’s health agenda
• Committing to increasing domestic public resources for health
• Increasing access to health services and financial protection for populations that have been left behind
• Using data for decision-making and accountability
• Indicating a willingness to commit World Bank (IDA or IBRD) resources for health

In mid-May, the GFF’s Trust Fund Committee will approve the final list of countries in this expansion round. A public announcement of the selected countries will be made shortly after approval by the Trust Fund Committee.

The GFF is expanding its support to additional countries—and expects to make follow-up grants as needed in current GFF countries to take initial results to scale—following its replenishment in November where 15 investors pledged $1 billion to the GFF Trust Fund.