Panama

The current Global Fund HIV/TB grant supports numerous programmatic interventions related to HIV and TB, as well as joint HIV-TB activities, including prevention, treatment and care, procurement and supply chain management, monitoring and evaluation, removing legal barriers to accessing health services, strengthening community systems, and program management. GF grants have significantly improved the reach and quality of the national disease response contributing to scaled up distribution of condoms and lubricants, HIV tests, and TB laboratory supplies and equipment to modernize diagnostic techniques as well as nonmedical supplies including food, vehicles and building supplies. Community peer promoters have also been trained to assist in active searching for HIV and TB cases to increase detection rates. Before the initial GF TB intervention, DOTS coverage in indigenous comarcas was essentially nonexistent at just 3 percent; through the GF-supported project, coverage expanded to nearly 100 percent in these regions. Other training has focused on programmatic strengthening, such as human resources and equipment maintenance. The current grant also includes civil society strengthening as a goal. This is reflected in the fact that CSOs were involved in the development of the most recent national TB and HIV strategic plans.