Chief Mentor's Message:

The fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria has reached new levels. There is significant amount of commitment, a greater will, and most significantly, increased funding. Efforts are being made by different agencies, which include government, the international agencies, private foundations and others.

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) is one such instrument. It is a distinctive financing mechanism that mobilises, allocates and disburses resources, to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Since its creation in 2001, the GFATM has committed US $ 5.2 billion to 390 grants in low and middle-income countries worldwide.

The GFATM supports the scale up of essential interventions to combat the three diseases, improving health of millions of people. It focuses on public-private partnership that will make sustainable and significant contribution to the reduction of infections, illness and death and mitigating the impact of these diseases.

CII/IBT have been partnering the GFATM, by not only being a member of the India Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), but also, as a sub recipient of the GFATM Round 4, where CII is actively engaged in facilitating the establishment of corporate ART Centres and has developed a Health Smart Card.

The GFATM would be shortly announcing Round 8 in March 2008. It is looking for an increased participation from private sector. I urge all of you to utilise this opportunity, and consider submitting appropriate proposals for an increased action and response to HIV/AIDS. CII would be happy to facilitate this process for its member companies!

I wish all the readers a Happy New Year!