Effects of GFATM on Georgia’s Health System Development, 2008

Global health initiatives like Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative (GAVI), Roll Back Malaria and Stop TB etc. are intended to support developing countries to effectively deal with specific diseases/conditions. In practice, the vertical nature of such financing is likely to have a variety of direct and indirect effects upon health care systems, both positive and negative. The size and the components of the grant, makes Global Fund the most significant player, at least for now. But evidence shows that experience with disbursement of GFATM grants has caused considerable frustration in recipient countries. In some countries, these new financing sources are providing larger sources of funding than the entire annual public health budget. Depending on how these resources are used, they have the potential to overstretch already weakened systems, or they may serve to support to the broader health care system with potentially positive effects on other health priorities as well. In Georgia, our study looked at the possible system wide impact of Global Fund on Georgia’s health care system. Therefore, the aim of the study was to look at the actual effects of GFATM on the policy environment, public-private interaction, human resources and access to specific services by clients. The findings are based on a base-line survey implemented in 2004 with financial support received from EU and an end-line survey financially supported by Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR), within the frames of research network for Global HIV/AIDS Initiative. Authors: Ketevan Chkhatarashvili; George Gotsadze, Natia Rukhadze. View the document.