The fight to integrate mental health in the Global Fund Replenishment

As part of our objective to ensure mental health services are integrated throughout health systems United for Global Mental Health attended the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and Malaria (The Global Fund) Replenishment Conference in Lyon.

The Conference successful raised $14 billion for The Global Fund to spend over the next three year phase with all donors increasing their previous donations by over 15%. Although mental health was not formally on the agenda, we made mental health visible at the Conference though a stand within the exhibition hall which attracted many senior figures within the global health and development world including The Global Financing Facility, The Global Fund Secretariat, and the UK Secretary of State for International Development, Alok Sharma.

On the main stage, mental health was discussed with heads of multilateral agencies such as Gunilla Carlsson, UNAIDS Executive Director highlighting the link between HIV and mental health conditions, and powerful lived experience advocates such Dr Zolelwa Sifumba from South Africa describing the pain of mental health conditions resulting from diagnosis and treatment of TB.

United for Global Mental Health is working with key allies from civil society and leading national governments to push for better integration of mental health services in HIV and TB interventions, founded on good policy and practice and with adequate finance.

The next milestone is the Global Fund Board meeting in November 2019 where, in particular, the Global Fund Strategy Committee will meet to discuss the future direction and priorities of The Global Fund. UnitedGMH will be there to ensure mental health is discussed with the hope that The Global Fund commits to increased and improve mental health services in their programmes they support all over the world.