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Global funds and partnerships

Definition

Global Funds and Partnerships (GFPs) usually have the following characteristics in common:

• They involve partnerships around a programme with a common set of objectives that often deliver new innovative services or products.
• A dedicated organisation is set up to deliver the programme, with dedicated resources.
• The intended benefits cut across more than one region of the world

Examples of GFPs include:

• Global Alliance for Vaccines and Medicines (GAVI)
• Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)
• Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
• Advanced Market Commitments
• Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI)
• International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm)
• Drug Purchasing Facility - UNITAID

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Why is it important?

• GFPs are increasingly popular instruments for addressing issues that need global action, a visible response to high-level political demand, coordinating responses at international level and/or quick development wins.
• GFPs' potential advantages include economies of scale, knowledge creation and dissemination, focus on areas of high potential impact, attraction of new partners around compelling goals, and greater involvement of the private sector.

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Facts and figures 

Substantial funding is channelled through GFPs:

• From 2000-2005, GAVI has raised almost US$1.3 billion and disbursed over US$ 530 million
• Contributions to the Catalyst Fund for the Education for All Fast Track Initiative total US$255 million for 2003-2007
• In its first two years, GFATM has approved US$3 billion and disbursed over US$1 billion in 22 countries
• 10 years ago DFID provided £15m to fund global funds and partnerships. Last year funding reached at least £180m.

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DFID's position

DFID is gathering information on its support to GFPs and evidence of their impact and effectiveness at country level. This work will help DFID decide how best to invest in and work with GFPs in future.

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International perspectives

The World Bank, UN and bilateral donors (including the US, Japan, Sweden, Norway and France), actively support a range of global funds.

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Issues to address

• Further analysis of GFPs is needed. At present, concerns centre around the risk of global initiatives of this kind undermining country-led approaches. There are also concerns about:
  • the proliferation of single issue initiatives and associated costs / coordination challenges
  • how to ensure sufficient targeting of the poor
  • sustainability of resources and initiatives (many GFPs are more focused on rapid delivery than building long-term capacities)

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Advanced Market Commitments (AMC)

In February 2007, the UK, Italy, Canada, Russia, Norway and the Gates Foundation announced US$ 1.5 billion support for an Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines. The UK contribution is US$ 485 million. Pneumococcal disease is the leading cause of childhood pneumonia deaths and the second leading cause of childhood meningitis deaths. It kills more than 1.6 million people, including 700,000 to 1,000,000 children under age 5, every year. It is estimated that the AMC could save over 5 million lives by 2030.

• Read more about AMC's

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Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI)

The Education for All - Fast-track Initiative (FTI) is a global partnership between donor and developing countries to ensure accelerated progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015. All low-income countries which demonstrate serious commitment to achieve universal primary completion can receive support from FTI. 

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International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm)

The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) is a new multilateral financing mechanism that will use legally binding pledges of future aid by sovereign donors to raise additional money from selling bonds in the international capital markets. IFFIm will enable a substantial increase in the development funds available immediately and accelerate the availability of funds to be used for supporting vaccination programmes in over 72 low-income countries via the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Alliance).

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Drug Purchasing Facility - UNITAID

Launched in September 2006, UNITAID is a new International Drug Purchasing facility founded by France, Brazil, Chile, Norway and the United Kingdom. In the fight against Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, UNITAID’s mission is to contribute to increasing access to treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis for people in developing countries. It will do this by lowering the price of quality drugs and diagnostics, and by increasing the pace at which they are made available. 

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Further information

• Review of Global Programmes: Country Level Evidence & Policy Findings(Carlos Montes, DevStrategies, February 2005)
• Global Funds and Partnerships: A Mapping Exercise Study(Performance Assessment Resource Centre, September 2004)
• Global Health Partnership: Assessing the Impact of Global Health Partnerships: Synthesis Report
• Global Funds and Partnerships: A Literature Review on the Effectiveness of GFPs(Performance Assessment Resource Centre, August 2004)

Last updated: 23 August 2007

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