Board Decisions Outcomes

At the 55th Board Meeting (July 9–10 in Geneva), the Global Fund unanimously approved the following decision points:

Evolution of Risk Appetite Framework: The updated Risk Appetite Framework aims to strengthen the Global Fund’s ability to make informed, impact-driven decisions in an increasingly complex operating environment. The revised framework shifts the focus from monitoring risk to actively managing it, providing clearer governance, more explicit decision-making and earlier identification of emerging risks.
Policy on Non-Global Fund-Financed Procurement: As part of supporting countries in their transitions, the main purpose of the new policy is to expand access to quality-assured, affordable health products through the Global Fund’s procurement platform using financing outside of Global Fund grants, helping countries maintain reliable access to essential medicines and health products as they move toward greater self-reliance. To support this initiative, the Board also approved a separate, self-sustaining financing mechanism that introduces bridge financing for countries that cannot pay upfront. The mechanism will include a pre-financing modality to support countries and reduce access barriers. As several LAC countries prepare for transition from Global Fund financing, constituencies emphasized the need enabling to build early synergy with existing regional mechanisms – such as PAHO Strategic Fund, SE-COMISCA Joint Negotiation Mechanism and OECS Pooled Procurement Services – prevent duplication and accelerate access to innovative diagnostics and treatments.

Governance Effectiveness

Given the resource-constrained operating environment, the Board discussed opportunities to strengthen the effectiveness of the Global Fund’s governance model, focused on:

Making governance more agile, efficient and strategically focused.
Reducing duplication.
Clarifying decision-making.
Preserving the partnership’s principles of inclusiveness, representation and trust.

Evolving the Global Health Ecosystem

The Global Fund is committed to a proactive transformation, leveraging its unique model – specifically its strengths in market shaping, pooled procurement, and community-led interventions. The goal is to foster a global health ecosystem that is:

Collaborative and Coherent: Working seamlessly with international key partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to better align support for countries exploring joint approaches for TB and new TB vaccines, and simplify the way they access health financing and services, thereby reducing administrative burden.
Responsive: Prioritizing the specific needs of local countries and communities.

GC8 and LAC Region transition timelines

As countries prepare to implement Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) (2027-2029) in a truncated timeline, there is intense focus on the difficult trade-offs required from reduced grant allocations. Most Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries are on track to transition out of direct Global Fund (GF) support by 2030. This accelerated timeline introduces major strategic shifts over the next two grant cycles, including integration of health services toward a stronger primary healthcare approach. In Grant Cycle 8 (GC8), eight countries will transition away from country allocations across 12 distinct health components). These include Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Paraguay for HIV; El Salvador and Peru for HIV/TB; and

Honduras for HIV/TB/Malaria. Additionally, the multi-Country Caribbean allocation for HIV (covering Belize, Jamaica, Suriname, and the OECS) will transition. Looking ahead to GC9, two more countries—Bolivia (HIV/TB/Malaria) and Cuba (HIV)—will transition their remaining four components.

LAC’s delegation leadership aims to enhance its influence and engagement to ensure the region remains at the forefront of these global strategic shifts, including timely access to innovation opportunities.

Evaluation and Learning

Following OIG´s audit recommendation, the Board discussed a proposed approach for a new evidence and learning model designed to provide faster, more relevant and cost-effective evidence to support decision-making across the Global Fund.

Global Fund Launched the process to select the New Executive Director On February 4, 2026, the Board launched the search for its next Executive Director, which will end with the appointment in October 2026 for a four-year term beginning in 2027. The selection process remains on schedule and has successfully moved from candidate outreach to the formal assessment phase.

New Board leadership

On June 2, the Board announced the selection of Ms. Erna Solberg, former Prime Minister of Norway, to serve as the next Chair of the Board, and Javier Hourcade Bellocq, a global public health leader and current member of the Global Fund Board, to serve as Vice-Chair. They will begin a three-year term in late October.

Mr. Dereck Springer, Alternate Board Member, served as a member of the Board Leadership Nomination Committee (BLNC). Current Board Leadership thanked the BLNC for the support provided to successfully conclude the process.

GF Emergency Funding to protect lifesaving HIV and TB Services in Venezuela

The Global Fund has approved US$1.77 million in emergency funding to maintain uninterrupted treatment for people living with HIV and TB while restoring prevention, diagnosis and follow-up services in Venezuela following two catastrophic earthquakes that struck the country on 24 June, killing more than 4,000 people, injuring and displacing thousands more, and disrupting health services. LAC leadership continues to advocate for the benefit of the most affected populations in such humanitarian crisis.

LAC Delegation’s priorities and engagement:

The LAC Delegation is refining its strategic priorities to protect health gains in the face of lower-than-expected funding for the Eighth Replenishment.

Strategic Priorities

Resource Optimization: Maximizing impact despite budget constraints to protect progress against HIV, TB, and malaria.
Equity Advocacy: Ensuring budget cuts do not disproportionately affect the LAC region or marginalized populations.
Biomedical Innovation: Integrating membership of the regional alliance established in February 2026 to secure affordable, generic lenacapavir by 2027.

Diplomatic & Regional Engagement

High-Level Advocacy: The delegation leadership will continued its engagement with LAC Diplomatic Missions in Geneva, including a October 2026 in-person meeting. Dr. Massimo Ghidinelli will serve as a moderator for the IAS Satellite Session titled “Making HIV Elimination in the Americas a Reality: Leadership, Evidence, Action”.
Strategic Convening: The delegation leverages the LAC Steering Committee to align the Global Fund Secretariat, regional partners, and beneficiary countries ahead of Board meetings.

Strengthened Leadership & Representation

Dr. Massimo Ghidinelli: Serving a second term on the Strategy Committee (2025–2028); and representing LAC constituency interests at Board level and retreats.
Alliance Engagement: Serving as a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Alliance for the Elimination of HIV in the Americas since February 2026. MINISTERS OF HEALTH ARE INVITED TO:
Develop robust strategies and approaches to sustain public health responses to the three diseases and protect the gains achieved so far and proactively prepare for full transition to domestic funding, while cognizant of their governments’ significant contribution to the response to HIV, TB, and Malaria.
Brief Ministers of Finance on the need to increase domestic resources for health, ensuring countries sustain and grow their own investments to strengthen systems, scale innovations, and drive progress toward universal health coverage and elimination of the three diseases as public health problems.
Leverage new regional alliances to ensure equitable access to lenacapavir across LAC and maximize the efficiency of limited resources.
Commend the Global Fund’s swift, timely and decisive strategic response to protect lifesaving services during humanitarian crises.