Churches wary of Global Fund grant uncertainty

The Malawi Council of Churches (MCM) has expressed concern over the impasse surrounding a Global Fund grant, warning that delays in resolving a dispute over the selection of a community Principal Recipient (PR) could jeopardise $437.9 million (about K766 billion) in funding.

In a statement signed by chairperson the Reverend Billy Gama, in reaction to a story published on Friday by our sister paper The Nation, MCM said the row threatens Malawians’ well‑being, particularly in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Health workers risk their lives doing everyday chores such as blood-related disease tests| Science.organd Aids services in Malawi. | Nation

“These funds are not merely financial allocations; they represent hope, health and life for millions of Malawians who depend on timely interventions.

“As faith leaders, we urge all parties involved to prioritise the needs of the people above organisational differences. Dialogue, cooperation and unity of purpose are essential to ensure that life‑saving programmes continue without interruption,” the statement reads.

The impasse pertains to selection of a community PR to change from World Vision International (WVI) to ActionAid Malawi (AAM). About 12 Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) members accuse the secretariat of delaying to communicate the decision, which was made on August 18 this year.

According to the CCM members’ letter, the decisional meeting at Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation headquarters oiverturned a PR Selection Committee to retain WVI and endorsed AAM instead.

And according to MCM, which comprises 32 mainline Christian churches in Malawi, the need to resolve the impasse requires urgency.

“We call upon the Global Fund, Country Coordinating Mechanism, World Vision International and ActionAid to resolve their differences swiftly and transparently, keeping in mind the moral responsibility to serve the vulnerable,” reads MCM’s statement.

“The churches stand ready to support efforts that foster collaboration and safeguard the health of our nation.”

The funds, under Grant Cycle 8, is critical for Malawi’s health sector, which is facing severe financing constraints worsened by external support withdrawals and shrinking fiscal space on the back of subdued domestic revenue collection and rising public debt.

The grant would cover HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and health system strengthening from July 1 2027 to June 30 2030.

The CCM’s members’ letter reads: “When the report was presented to CCM for consideration, seven CCM members present endorsed ActionAid Malawi as Community PR, while five endorsed WVI. ActionAid Malawi, therefore, received the higher number of endorsements.

The CCM also resolved not to use the Grant Ready Funding Request pathway, under which existing PR’s are ordinarily retained, unless the CCM formally changes modality.

The members further demanded formal communication to the Global Fund by close of business on September 18, warning they will pursue further appropriate action if it fails.

Further reads the letter: “CCM members and the constituencies they represent are entitled to timely and accurate communication regarding decisions taken through CCM processes.

The impasse also comes at a tight moment for Malawi, according to a debrief presentation from the Global Fund Malawi Country Team led by senior fund portfolio manager Marion Gleixner after a September 11 briefing.

The timeline shows Malawi was to submit an updated draft Funding Request for rapid review by September 17, complete adjustments and CCM endorsement by September 22, submit a full grant-ready package by October 5, and file to the Technical Review Panel (TRP) on October 12 for review over November 2-13.

Selection of PRs for Malawi’s Global Fund health grants follows a highly structured governance process managed by the Malawi Global Fund Coordinating Committee (MGFCC).

Acting as the national CCM, this multi-sectoral body features a diverse composition designed to prevent public sector monopolies.

To satisfy Global Fund rules, the general CCM assembly must maintain at least 40 percent representation from civil society.

This requirement brings together a carefully balanced coalition of public sector ministries, development partners like the United Nations (UN) and civil society organisations (CSOs), including faith-based groups and advocates representing people living with HIV, TB and malaria.

The selection pipeline begins when the MGFCC Secretariat issues a public call for applications. To evaluate these competitive bids, a dedicated PR Selection Committee—comprising balanced government, donor and CSO representatives—is appointed to vet applicants.

They target a strategic blend of public entities such as the Ministry of Health and non-governmental bodies to enforce dual-track financing.

Following this evaluation, the full assembly of CCM members vote to endorse or reject the candidates, as it happened in this case when they picked AAM over WVM.

Once nominated by the CCM member vote, an independent Local Fund Agent (LFA) conducts an exhaustive institutional audit of the candidates’ financial safeguards.

Final approval rests with the Global Fund Secretariat in Geneva, which signs the binding Grant Agreement to trigger performance-based health disbursements nationwide.

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