First Global Fund Country Dialogue for the GC8 Funding Request Successfully Conducted on July 30, 2026
The Country Coordinating Mechanism for Ethiopia (CCM/E) successfully organized the first Country Dialogue for the Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) Funding Request on June 30,2026. The one-day Consultation Workshop brought together more than 80 participants representing government institutions, Ministry of Health disease control programs, development partners, civil society organizations, implementing partners, communities, and other key stakeholders involved in the Global Fund funding request process.
The Country Dialogue was organized to initiate a broad and inclusive consultation process that will guide the development of Ethiopia’s GC8 Funding Request. The meeting provided a platform for participants to review national priorities, discuss National Strategic Plan priorities, and ensure that the Funding Request reflects the country’s most pressing health needs and aligns with national strategies.
The program began with welcoming and opening remarks by Dr. Kassa Hailu, Executive Secretary of the CCM/E Secretariat, and Dr. Girmachew Mamo, CCM Vice Chair. In their remarks, they welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement throughout the GC8 Funding Request process. They emphasized that the Global Fund places strong importance on country ownership, inclusiveness, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making. They encouraged participants to actively engage in the discussions and contribute to identifying and prioritizing the country’s programmatic needs.
Technical presentations were delivered by representatives from the national HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria, and Reproductive Health (RH) programs. The presenters provided an overview of their respective National Strategic Plans, highlighting the current disease burden, achievements made under previous Global Fund grants, existing gaps, emerging challenges, and strategic priorities for the coming implementation period. The presentations also outlined key interventions required to accelerate progress toward Health Sector Investment and Development Plan and global health targets.
Following the presentations, participants engaged in interactive discussions, sharing experiences, identifying implementation challenges, and proposing priority interventions across the four program areas. The dialogue focused on ensuring that the funding request addresses critical service delivery gaps, reaches underserved and vulnerable populations, strengthens health systems, and maximizes the impact of available resources.
A key objective of the meeting was the prioritization of national program needs to inform the development of the GC8 Funding Request. Participants reviewed proposed interventions and discussed their feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with national strategic priorities. The discussions reflected the collective commitment of stakeholders to developing a high-quality, evidence-based, and country-led funding request that responds to Ethiopia’s evolving health priorities.
The first Country Dialogue marks an important milestone in the GC8 Funding Request process. The recommendations and priorities identified during the consultation will serve as valuable inputs for subsequent technical discussions and the preparation of the final Funding Request to the Global Fund.
The CCM/E Secretariat expressed its appreciation to all participants for their active engagement and valuable contributions and reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating an inclusive and transparent process throughout the development of the GC8 Funding Request.
