Successful Closure of the Global Fund – IGAD TB Grant Among Refugees in East Africa (2022-2025)
Date & Location: September 29–30, 2025 | Bishoftu, Ethiopia
Overview of the Final Close-Out Meeting
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) successfully hosted the final grant close-out meeting for the Global Fund TB Grant among Refugees in East Africa (The Third Continuation Grant), which concluded its implementation phase on March 31, 2025.
Approximately 45 members attended, representing key stakeholders committed to refugee health, including:
- Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) and Ministries of Health (NTPs) from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.
- Regional and Country Offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and the Ethiopian Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS).
- IGAD representatives.
The official opening was led by Mrs. Tayiba Hassen, Director General of the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS). Representing H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, Mr. Abebaw Bihiogen (Head of Mission to Ethiopia) then addressed the attendees. He lauded the partners for their collective achievements, emphasizing the need for sustainability:
“The successful completion of this grant is not the end of our journey, but a milestone in our shared commitment to protect the health and dignity of refugees and host communities… Our task now is to sustain these gains, strengthen cross-border cooperation, and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against TB and HIV in our region.”
Grant Performance and Key Achievements
The meeting’s primary objective was to disseminate the program’s performance and discuss strategies for sustaining its achievements.
Dr. Tsegay Legesse, IGAD TB Grant Project Manager, presented the comprehensive Grant Closure Report. The report detailed the successful utilization of the third grant’s budget of USD6.43 Million (part of three grants totaling USD 23.9 Million since 2016).
The main objectives of the continuation grant were to strengthen TB service provision, enhance cross-border collaboration, and address policy barriers for refugees.
Programmatic Highlights & Lessons Learned:
| Focus Area | Achievement / Lesson Learned |
| Case Detection | Active Case Finding (ACF) through Community Health Workers (CHWs) and targeted mass screening significantly increased TB case notification |
| Capacity Building | Continuous training of Health Care Workers (HCWs) on TB/MDR-TB care and prevention strengthened diagnostic and treatment capacity |
| Resource & Infrastructure | The grant successfully filled critical gaps by procuring essential diagnostic tools, including Gene Xpert machines and LED Microscopes |
| Data Quality | The program played a vital role in improving the quality of reporting and generating reliable data on priority TB indicators |
| Partnership | Enhanced collaboration with UNHCR, RRS, KRCS, and other implementing partners was critical to the successful improvement of TB case notification and treatment outcomes |
| Continuity of Care | Cross-border collaboration was strengthened, enabling the tracking of referrals and ensuring continuity of TB care for mobile refugee populations |
| Management | Impeccable grant management capacity was a key factor in the successful implementation and achievement of all registered results |
Commitment to Sustainability: – A core focus of the meeting involved intensive discussions and group work on how to maintain the significant progress made.
Key Outcome
The meeting concluded with each IGAD member state, in collaboration with its respective National TB Program (NTP), developing a concrete plan to sustain the project’s gains. In the closing session, all participating delegations expressed profound appreciation for the program’s successes and unanimously pledged their commitment to future sustainability. This commitment involves two key actions.
- Integrating the successful TB program components into existing national health systems.
- Advocating resource mobilization from the Global Fund and other development partners to ensure the long-term continuation of high-quality TB services for refugees.
This revised report details the purpose, achievements, and forward-looking commitment from the key partners involved in the Global Fund-IGAD TB Grant. Let me know if you need any sections adjusted or expanded.
