Fighting against Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS: GFAN edifies journalists to advocate mobilisation of Global Fund resources.

The strategic meeting, held in Soa, outskirts of Yaounde, took place Friday December 13. It was organised by the Global Fund Advocacy Network, GFAN, through its secretariat for Francophone Africa, Impact Santé Afrique, ISA. 

The objective of the strategic meeting was geared towards defining the communication actions to be implemented from 2025 to support the mobilisation of Global Fund resources at national level.

Speaking during the event, ISA’s Programme Assistant, Edith Ateba, noted that media professionals are key actors in advancing healthcare policies, and as such their organisation decided to gather a crop of professionals to seek better communication strategies to ensure the success the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment for the fight against Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

She stated that the 8th replenishment campaign of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria for the funding period of 2026-2029, will hold in 2025.

“You know the media has a role of informing and educating, and so it is important for the media to be abreast with the situation of the three diseases, educate the public and eventually sensitise the decision-makers on the need to act in terms of financing, mobilisation of resources so that in the next few years we can succeed to eliminate these three diseases,” Ateba said. 

Media’s key role

While highlighting their readiness to accompany the media in playing its role, she stressed that lives are lost and more people being affected by the diseases every year. 

“So, we are accompanying all these media that want to play that critical role of sensitising the public on preventive measures, treatment and as well pushing the decision-makers and all those who can play a role for us to mobilise more resources to attain elimination of the diseases,” she added.  

A key point during the strategic meeting was crafting of communication strategies that can contribute to the success of the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment. 

Highlighting the role journalists play in this campaign, one of the participants, Serge Edzou of Magic FM, said “journalists are like the go-between between decision-makers and the population who are the beneficiaries of health support”.

“We can find the role or interest of journalists to support the mobilisation of resources because everyone listens, reads or watches us, so journalists have the power to influence be it recognise or not... Journalists are an important actor because they show the interest for the government to mobilise of funds and show to the population their interest in adhering to health counsels,” he added.  

It is worth noting that the meeting in Soa stems from recommendations made during a media briefing webinar on the results of the Global Fund and the demands of civil society for the 8th Replenishment of the Global Fund, which was organised in October this year.  

It is important to recall that the Global Fund mobilises resources to support the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria on a three-year circle, by investing in programmes that strengthen health systems of countries.

The seventh replenishment, running from 2023 to 2025, has already invested over 65 billion US dollars to reduce mortality from these diseases across the world. As the eighth replenishment approaches, which will run from 2026 to 2028, it is crucial to mobilise all stakeholders, including the media, to achieve the targets set.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3324 of Wednesday December 18, 2024