Nairobi, December 5, 2023 — The Global Financing Facility’s (GFF) governing bodies—Investors Group (IG) and Trust Fund Committee (TFC)—met to take stock and agree on the way forward in a context of intertwined global crises, with inequities impacting women and girls on a global scale and also within countries. Partners focused on building on achievements and progress to date, including strategies to meet the rising demand from existing and new partner countries to work with the GFF, while addressing the challenges to advance the GFF’s mission during implementation. 

The main outcomes and decision points from the meetings are as follows:

  • Second-round financing for Kenya: Honorable Cabinet Secretary Dr. Susan Nakhumicha joined the IG meeting and shared Kenya’s impressive progress and leadership, highlighting the factors that enabled this success. Given the remarkable progress made by the country as well as meeting the necessary requirements for additional funding, the TFC approved the second-round financing for Kenya to continue this work. Kenya will also be eligible for an allocation of GFF newly approved challenge fund. Details on the total funding envelope are forthcoming, pending the World Bank Board of Executive Directors' decision on the cofinanced project foreseen in 2024.
  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Evaluation: The GFF Secretariat updated progress of implementation of the GFF strategy, including key milestones, challenges and progress with the first presentation of the 2023–25 strategy KPIs. The IG and TFC both endorsed an annual review of KPIs, and the continued use of KPIs to measure progress on the implementation of the GFF strategy. The secretariat also updated participants on the IG-endorsed creation of a steering committee to guide the TFC-commissioned GFF evaluation process, still in its initial phase.
  • Global alignment agenda and country impact: IG and TFC representatives discussed the Future of Global Health Initiatives (FGHI) process and the alignment agenda, at both global and country level. The IG provided guidance—particularly on the opportunity for the GFF to promote its existing mechanisms and tools such as resource mapping and expenditure tracking (RMET) and the alignment framework as well as ensuring country leadership as a guiding principle and inclusivity in implementing GFF near-term actions within the process. The GFF is also working closely with Gavi and the Global Fund on a joint road map for strengthened collaboration, including the role of pathfinder countries—with different context and challenges—to build on existing collaboration between GHIs to operationalize this agenda moving forward.
  • Further, the TFC approved a new joint policy framework allowing donors to cofinance investment cases (ICs) in country through the GFF. This policy builds on the ongoing momentum for alignment of financing and fits within the World Bank’s trust fund reform process—which aims to increase efficiency and alignment, reduce fragmentation and transactions costs, and enhance the focus of teams on country dialogue and implementation. This new policy will allow the GFF to coordinate more effectively with donors who wish to link their bilateral programs with the GFF capacity to support the development and implementation of GFF and World Bank operations and related technical assistance in countries.
  • 2023–25 financial allocations:
    • Thanks to the resources pledged to date as part of the Deliver the Future campaign cohosted by the Netherlands, Côte d’Ivoire and Germany, in partnership with the World Bank, the TFC approved intermediate funding prioritization including a “challenge fund mechanism” to accelerate action on priorities that require a specific push and multisectoral collaboration. The window will operate as specific calls for proposals from World Bank teams to address key challenges across sectors, incentivizing innovation as well as partnerships.
    • Further, partners renewed their commitment to achieve the goals and close the Deliver the Future resource mobilization campaign by spring 2024.

Other agenda items included:

  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) approach: IG members strongly endorsed* a revised SRHR approach paper discussed at the meeting, including the operationalization and tracking of progress of the SRHR Acceleration Plan and its five priority investment areas.
  • Climate and health agenda: Ahead of COP28, the IG firmly endorsed the GFF proposal to integrate the climate change agenda into its strategy, under the guidance of the IG and with the creation of a dedicated working group. The GFF climate and health working group would focus on adaptation with a strong gender dimension and a GFF approach will be presented at the next IG for endorsement.
  • Private sector: The IG endorsed a consultative process for reviewing the GFF’s engagement with the private sector, including the formation of a working group to map country priorities and needs related to the private sector in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH-N) as well as partner activities to subsequently define the areas for collaboration and coordination.

Ahead of the IG and TFC meeting, the GFF-supported ministerial network met to review the progress of the alignment pilots, including the rollout in additional countries. Health ministers from Kenya, Ethiopia, Liberia, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of Congo as well as representatives from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Mali discussed the role of the GFF partnership on further strengthening country leadership.

Further, a meeting of the Civil Society Coordinating Group (CSCG) took place and featured lively discussions on the impact of civil society and youth engagement in the GFF and best practices for engagement, including raising the ambition of the role of civil society as part of the model.

*USAID abstained from endorsing the overall approach

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