UNDP's commitment to addressing HIV and other major health and development challenges is based on the principles that health is a driver for and an indicator and outcome of development.
As outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNDP’s support to countries aims to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformation for sustainable development and supporting governments to build resilience to shocks and crises.
UNDP defines capacity development as the process through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives over time.
Strong partnerships are the cornerstone of UNDP's work to strengthen systems for health. In its support to countries UNDP works closely with other United Nations entities, development organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and key populations to develop resilient and sustainable systems for health.
The effectiveness of UNDP's model of health programme support, with its emphasis on end-to-end capacity development, is evident in the results of its long-standing partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund).
Whether in its role as an implementing partner managing large-scale HIV, TB, and malaria programmes funded by the Global Fund or as a technical assistance
Investments in resilient and sustainable systems for health lay the foundation for the effective and equitable delivery of HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.
Human rights barriers include stigma and discrimination, punitive laws, policies and practices, violence, harassment, gender, and social and economic inequalities.
People most affected by HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria are often the same people who are marginalised and have limited or no access to health care.
Gender equality is essential to achieving health and well-being for all, accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Reaching key milestones: The Global Fund grants transferred to national entities
An overarching goal of UNDP’s role as interim Principal Recipient (PR) of the HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund) in countries where challenging operating environments exist is to develop the capacity of national entities to take over the management of the grants as soon as circumstances permit or to improve the national entities’ performance if they are already serving as PRs. UNDP’s tailored capacity development approach and emphasis on working with and through national systems and strategies has enabled it to successfully transition out of the role of PR in 33 countries and for three regional grants since 2003.
Capacity Development and transition plans: a framework for systematic support
To ensure that its support for capacity development within the Global Fund grants is systematic, country owned and evidence based, UNDP has developed a comprehensive process and standard tools to jointly assess capacity gaps and work with key stakeholders to develop capacity development and transition plans. Once launched at the beginning of a grant, the establishment of these plans allows identified capacity gaps to be translated into concrete deliverables and outcomes with specific entities responsible for each, according to a clear timeline and associated budget. The process likewise ensures that progress can be monitored in all core functional areas of national health systems and project management arrangements, including capacities related to programming, monitoring and evaluation, supply chain management and financial management. The map below includes examples of priorities established through capacity development plans in countries where UNDP serves as interim Principal Recipient of the Global Fund grants. TheCapacity Development Plan and Transition sections of this website outline the framework, tools and guidance for countries to plan, develop and monitor capacity development plans for health programmes and broader systems strengthening.
Complementing Global Fund risk assessments
UNDP-supported capacity development and transition plans are not intended to replace the Global Fund risk assessments. An example of an external risk assessment is the Global Fund assessment of potential Principal Recipients (PRs), which is carried out by the Local Fund Agent (LFA). The Global Fund assessment is similar to a capacity assessment; however, the LFA assessment is risk based and aims to determine the risks for the Global Fund.
Snapshot of UNDP-Global Fund grants by region
In In this map, you will find an overview of the Global Fund grants UNDP manages as interim Principal Recipient (PR). Based on government demand, UNDP also provides technical assistance to strengthen systems in a number of countries through financing agreements funded by domestic or other donor resources.
