In 10 years, L'Initiative has established itself as a key mechanism in France's strategy in the fight against HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. A facility recognized by its peers and partners, it puts all its energy into providing technical assistance and financial support to catalytic projects. Its goal: access to health for all, and the elimination of the three great pandemics.
Following the success of the 6th Global Fund Replenishment Conference in 2019, L’Initiative met the challenges of 2020. In the critical health context of COVID-19, an unprecedented 6,000 days of expertise were funded and its financial investments in support of catalyst projects came to a record total of €23,7 million.
L’Initiative undertakes to assist the country coordinating mechanisms (CCM) of its partner countries in drafting and submitting applications for financial support from the Global Fund. Here are a few examples of the assistance given during the first year of the 2020–2022 cycle, which has been defined by the global health crisis.
Tuberculosis is still a deadly disease that kills more than 1.5 million people every year. And yet there are efficient ways of preventing and treating it. To help overcome the remaining challenges of eradicating this pandemic, L’Initiative is strengthening capacities of the actors on the ground, and funding research projects to improve screening and treatment strategies.
The fight against malaria has been one of the greatest successes in global health. Over the last two decades, the global mortality rate due to malaria has fallen by 60%. However, this worldwide progress has been threatened by Covid-19, which has affected the distribution of mosquito nets and access to screening and treatment. Working with the Global Fund and its partners in the countries facing malaria, L’Initiative has not abated its efforts to combat the two diseases.
L’Initiative undertakes to support and strengthen the capacities of community actors. Civil society plays a major role between populations and public health structures, especially in the context of HIV. As partners of the institutions engaged in the country coordinating mechanisms and in local organizations, communities are essential actors in the fight against pandemics.
Key populations are the groups most affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and whose contribution to the response is indispensable. L’Initiative’s objective is to improve their access to health services, which is often hampered by discrimination: facilitating their inclusion also means addressing the question of human rights. Since 2016, L’Initiative has been particularly involved with networks representing key populations and vulnerable groups.
In 2015, L’Initiative launched a call for projects for “Adolescents and young girls”, and in 2016, launched a training cycle for project leaders on sexual and reproductive health rights. These are two milestones in L’Initiative’s work to promote inclusion and decompartmentalization of medical interventions related to sexual and reproductive health. An ongoing reflexion that we share with our partners.
One of L’Initiative’s goals is to guarantee permanent access to essential, safe, and efficient health products. It assists in strengthening provisioning management systems and stock control in order to consolidate the entire pharmaceutical chain, that is essential to ensuring stable health care systems.
Ten years after its creation as the 5% Initiative (former denomination), L’Initiative continues its action. It has changed its name, and renewed its strategy to match the rhythm of the Global Fund’s cycle. Here is a review of the evolution and the main steps that have marked this quite unique program in its category.