Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific

The Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) is a not for profit organisation or non governmental organisation hosted by APCASO, a registered Thai Foundation. GFAN AP is not a registered entity and receives administrative and financial hosting support through APCASO.

GFAN AP was founded in 2014, and It is an advocacy platform of HIV, Tuberculosis and malaria community and civil society in the Asia-Pacific region. GFAN AP supports advocacy for a fully resourced Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund); increased and sustainable domestic resource mobilisation for health^[1]; and equitable, people-centred, human rights-based and gender transformative inclusion of HIV, Tuberculosis and malaria responses within Universal Health Coverage (UHC).^[2]

As a platform that brings together collective action for collective impact, GFAN AP initiates and supports powerful action of GFAN AP partners at global, regional, and national levels, and strives to ensure Asia-Pacific partner participation and contributions in the global social movement in support of the Global Fund.

The GFAN AP Secretariat works remotely and is composed of Rachel Ong (Regional Coordinator, based in Singapore), Niluka Perera (Advocacy, Programmes and Coordination Officer, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka), and Anukriti Singh (Communications and Media Officer, based in New Delhi, India).

Creation

GFAN AP was established in April 2014 at a first meeting co-organised by the Communities Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund (Communities Delegation) and the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) hosted by the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV and 7 Sisters Network on 9 and 10 April 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting brought together 27 representatives of regional networks of Key Affected Populations, Communities and Civil Society Delegations on the Board of the Global Fund, civil society organisations, and representatives from the Global Fund Secretariat. The meeting founded GFAN AP recognising the need for a more consolidated and concerted effort on advocacy and lobbying by community and civil society networks/organisations in the Asia-Pacific for the Global Fund.

The first working group that resulted from the inaugural meeting consisted of Tracey Tully (Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers), Malu Marin (7 Sisters), Rodelyn Marte (APCASO), Laurindo Garcia (B-Change), Blessina Kumar (Global Coalition of TB Activists), and Ting Ting Shen (Asia Catalyst).

The Steering Committee was formed in 2016 and is chaired by Dr Khuat Thi Hai Oanh (Center for Community Development Initiatives) with a group of passionate advocates working in HIV, TB and Malaria - Blessina Kumar (Global Coalition of TB Activists), Donald Allen Baxter (Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations), Masaki Inaba (Africa Japan Forum), Rodelyn Marte (APCASO), Shreehari Acharya (Malaria CSO Platform). Rachel Ong (Regional Coordinator, GFAN AP) is an ex-officio member of the Steering Committee, and Peter van Rooijen is an Adviser (appointed in 2022) to the Steering Committee.

Activities

Working closely with India communities and civil society organisations ahead of the Sixth Preparatory Meeting hosted by the Government of India^[3][4] in February 2019,^[5] communities and civil society raised the importance of the continued support of the Global Fund to India, and at the same time the solidarity that India should show with the rest of the world through increased pledges to the Global Fund, and to double its health budget which is only 1.2% of the GDP.^[6][7] It supported the formation of the India Working Group for Health Advocacy which is currently hosted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) South Asia Office, and has supported the development of the India Investment Case 2019 and India Investment Case 2021.^[8]

For the Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund, the largest communities and civil society mobilisation was coordinated by GFAN Asia-Pacific for the #LoveMoreGiveMore campaign, held on Saint Valentine's Day to thank donors and to share key messages of the Investment Case.

In 2020, after COVID-19 started ravaging and brought countries programmes to a standstill in some situations, GFAN AP worked closely with country partners in the Asia-Pacific region to highlight key stories and contributions from communities and civil society organisations despite the difficulties they faced with COVID-19 related lockdowns and restrictions.^[9] Advocacy work towards donor governments to step up increased pledges to the Global Fund for its C19RM also ensued.^[10]

In end 2021, GFAN AP launched "In Extraordinary Times... The Power of More" Campaign aimed to mobilise communities and civil society in the Asia-Pacific region to advocate for the Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund and to raise awareness of the importance of Global Fund investments in human rights and gender, as well as for community systems strengthening. GFAN AP organised the Global Week of Action in collaboration with GFAN & GFAN Africa.^[11]

References

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