The impact of transition from Global Fund Support to governmental funding on the sustainability of harm reduction programs: a case study from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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The impact of transition from Global Fund Support to governmental funding on the sustainability of harm reduction programs: a case study from Bosnia and Herzegovina

13 July 2016

Since 2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been a recipient of Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Round 5 and Round 9 grants to support the country’s HIV and TB programs. However, as BiH has been classified as an upper-middle income country by the World Bank and as a low HIV prevalence country, it will not be supported by Global Fund resources after September 2016.

Nowadays, BiH is going through a transition process guided by a transition plan to transfer ownership of the HIV program from the Global Fund to domestic structures. As BiH was one of the first countries to develop a transition plan, there were no guidelines, which made this a difficult task for all the actors involved. Consequently, this case study analyzes the readiness and risks of the BiH transition from donor to domestic funding, identifying the challenges and recommendations. BiH achieves a Transition Readiness Assessment score of 33% as of April 2016. In 10 of the 12 indicators predefined in the tool matrix, BiH has reached the first out of three stages while two indicators progressed to the second stage. Stage three was not reached in the case of any indicators. The most significant progress was achieved in the areas of Policy and Program with four points scored out of nine, mostly thanks to NGO involvement in the preparation of relevant policy documentation and HR and HIV prevention program implementation. Governance remains the weakest transition area with only one indicator achieving the first stage. All three indicators in the Finance area have reached the first stage. Such a score indicates a significant achievement and a good start which requires further work to progress.

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Related Profiles

  • Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN)
  • Global Fund