By Haruna Gimba
The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) welcomes Minister of Health for Malawi, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda as the newly appointed co-chair of the GFF Investors Group (IG).
Minister Chiponda takes over from Dr. Lia Tadesse, former Minister of Health, Ethiopia, and joins Pascalle Grotenhuis, Vice Minister for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, as co-chairs of the Investors Group.
Ahead of her inaugural IG meeting as co-chair, taking place in Abuja this week, Minister Chiponda said: “The GFF investor group brings all critical actors in advancing maternal and adolescent health and opportunities for children, women and youth behind country leadership.
“This partnership is a testament to the power of global solidarity. I have seen the bold and transformative approach to addressing some of the most pressing health challenges in Malawi.
“I am honoured and excited to join as co-chair and look forward to support the GFF mission globally and making a lasting change for millions of women, children, and adolescents.”
The IG serves as an advisory board to the GFF Trust Fund Committee (TFC) and the GFF Secretariat and plays a key role in fostering alignment at the country level.
The IG comprises the broad set of partners that are part of the GFF partnership, including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, United Nations agencies, Gavi, and the Global Fund and private foundations.
The co-chairs help foster effective communication and engagement with stakeholders and ensure alignment of the GFF’s vision by addressing issues and concerns of stakeholders and help facilitate discussions to implement GFF’s priorities.
To further support country-level efforts, the GFF is also delighted to announce that Dr Austin H. Demby, Minister of Health for Sierra Leone, will Chair the GFF Ministerial Network, a platform launched in 2021 for a harmonized approach to inform global health agendas.
“We need accelerated action to meet the child survival and maternal mortality SDG by 2030. The ministerial network supported by the GFF has been critical for learning across countries and advancing the alignment agenda for better health outcomes for women, children and adolescents. I am honoured to continue building on this momentum to bring country leadership to drive a response backed by global solidarity,” Minister Demby said.
In their roles, Minister Demby and Minister Chiponda will hold non-voting seats on the TFC which governs the GFF Trust Fund. It comprises representatives of the World Bank and donors, including governments and foundations that contribute at a certain threshold to the GFF Trust Fund.
