Malaria Constituency CSOs Engagement Meeting

Date: June 17, 2025  Addis Ababa

As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusive governance and meaningful stakeholder participation, the Country Coordinating Mechanism of Ethiopia (CCM/E) convened a full-day engagement meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) representing the Malaria Constituency on June 17, 2025. The session brought together CSOs and volunteers from various organizations working in malaria response, with the objective of strengthening their involvement in planning, decision-making, and oversight processes within the Global Fund framework.

Meeting Objectives

The meeting aimed at:

• Strengthen the engagement of CSOs in CCM/E activities.
• Share updates on the Global Fund GC7 grant revisions and reprioritizations.
• Review and validate the 2025 Community Engagement Plan and the Bidirectional Communication Strategy.
• Identify practical mechanisms to ensure community voices are effectively integrated into CCM/E decision-making.

Key Presentations and Highlights

1. Community Engagement Plan 2025: Presented by Mr. Hayelom Assefa, Community Engagement Officer, CCM/E Secretariat, the presentation focused on strategies to enhance grassroots participation in malaria programming and grant oversight. Emphasis was placed on inclusivity, capacity building, and the establishment of robust community feedback mechanisms.
2. Bidirectional Communication Strategy: Participants explored the importance of establishing effective two-way communication between CSOs and CCM/E representatives. Communication gaps were identified, and tools and strategies were proposed to ensure timely, consistent, and meaningful constituency engagement.
3. Global Fund GC7 Grant Adaptation and Reprioritization: – Presented by Mr. Abayneh Admas, Oversight and Compliance Officer, CCM/E Secretariat, this session provided a comprehensive review of the GC7 grant adaptation process, with a focus on preserving life-saving HIV services and aligning malaria program priorities with evolving epidemiological patterns and limited financial resources.
4. Global Fund Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Management: Presented by Mrs. Betselot Yirsaw, Ethics Officer, CCM/E Secretariat, the session introduced the Global Fund Grant Recipients’ Code of Conduct, highlighting core principles such as transparency, accountability, integrity, and respect for human rights. Participants engaged in practical discussions on conflict-of-interest management particularly in the context of Sub-Recipients (SRs) and Sub-Sub-Recipients (SSRs) and explored how to integrate ethical practices and safeguards into program implementation and CCM/E decision-making.
5. Implementation Update by Health and Development Anti-Malaria Association (HDAMA): Presented by Mr. Asebir Wegayehu, Global Fund Grant Coordinator, HDAMA.
   A detailed update was shared on the status of GC7 grant implementation over the past three months. Four CSOs have launched social and behavioral change interventions across 222 high-burden woredas, utilizing schools and health extension workers to raise community awareness. Budget revision challenges and adaptive responses were also discussed.

Key Outcomes and Action Points

The meeting concluded with agreement on the following action points to guide collaborative efforts over the next three months:

• Strengthen constituency forums and networking platforms.
• Assign a focal person for the Malaria CSO constituency and establish an engagement committee.
• Ensure CSO participation in budget revisions and prioritization processes.
• Engage CSOs in local resource mobilization and sustainability initiatives.
• Foster stronger collaboration and partnerships with Principal Recipients (PRs) and regional Sub-Recipients (SRs).
• Disseminate key documents, including the Community Engagement Plan and Bidirectional Communication Strategy, to constituency members.
• Institutionalize mechanisms for sustained bidirectional communication.
• Incorporate the Global Fund Code of Conduct into formal agreements (e.g., TORs and MOUs) and deliver training to SR and SSR staff