It is time to increase Africa’s governmental representation on the governing board of the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
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Date
2025-08
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Publisher
BMJ Global Health
Abstract
There is increasing attention in global health governance to increase African representation within decision-making bodies.
Although the African national constituencies represent 71% of all Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) allocations, the largest disease burden and 75% of all ‘challenging operating environments’, they represent only 10% of the voting members on the GFATM Governing Board, suggesting under-representation.
Increasing African governmental representation by at least one voting seat on the GFATM Board would better align the institution with global norms advocating increased African representation.
Evidence further suggests that increasing governmental representation would provide greater opportunities to create better contextualised, integrated and sustainable GFATM programmes, thus helping to address longstanding challenges in how we finance and promote global health.