Locations
Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (GC-7) in Afghanistan
Supporting efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria while strengthening health systems
Overview
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a worldwide partnership that raises and invests more than US$5 billion annually to combat these diseases and strengthen health systems in over 100 countries. Since 2003, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Global Fund to implement grants aimed at tackling HIV, TB, and malaria. The Global Fund is the biggest non-core donor to UNDP. Since 2003, this partnership has helped save 7.3 million lives, carried out more than 63 million HIV tests, provided care and support services to 920,000 people living with HIV and treated 107 million cases of malaria and 1.1 million people with tuberculosis. In 2024, UNDP was managing 28 Global Fund grants in 20 countries, as well as three regional programmes covering another 14 countries.
In Afghanistan, UNDP has been managing Global Fund grants as interim Principal Recipient since 2015, supporting the national HIV, TB, and malaria responses as well as health systems strengthening activities, and more recently the COVID-19 response, across 34 provinces. For the 2024-2026 cycle, referred to as Grant Cycle 7 (GC-7), the Global Fund allocated $66 million for Afghanistan, including an allocation of $3.2 million for climate and health.
Afghanistan faces a complex humanitarian crisis marked by political and economic instability, high disease burdens, and limited access to healthcare. Malaria remains endemic, with the country bearing the fifth-highest malaria burden in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Tuberculosis continues to post a significant public health challenge in Afghanistan with an incidence rate of 203/100,000. While the overall prevalence of HIV remains low (below 1%), the epidemic is concentrated among key populations, particularly people who inject drugs.
Objectives
- Reduce malaria burden by 95% by 2030 and elimination by 2035.
- Halt new HIV infections and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV by 2026.
- Reduce TB deaths by 75% by 2026 and decrease the incidence rate by 20%.
- To improve the quality of services and increase effectiveness of HTM and Strengthen the Health Systems.
Major Achievements
- In 2025, more than 2.5 million beneficiaries received malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV services (prevention, testing, and treatment) through health facilities and partners, more than half of whom were women.
- The HIV programme enrolled 1,743 people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, including 36% women. Prevention and testing among key populations exceeded targets, reaching 110% of PWIDs, 189% of prisoners tested, and 2,559 vulnerable individuals at targeted border sites.
- For tuberculosis, 49,533 cases were notified and enrolled for treatment in 2025, with 59% treatment coverage and a 94% treatment success rate for new and relapse cases. Rifampicin resistance testing reached 59% of TB patients (98% of the 2025 target), while laboratory quality performance remained at 100%.
- For malaria, 1,182,258 suspected cases were tested and 224,766 confirmed cases were treated, alongside the distribution of around 650,000 LLINs through ANC services and mass campaigns.
- Under RSSH, sustainable diagnostic, quality assurance, PSM, medical stocks, and health information systems were strengthened through support to CPHL and regional/provincial laboratories, AFDA quality control laboratories, central and regional medical stores, and enhanced HMIS.
- Under the COVID-19 grant (closed December 2025), two laboratories were constructed in Kunduz and Nangarhar, six regional laboratories and the Central Public Health Laboratory in Kabul were upgraded, three ICUs were renovated and equipped, several laboratories were solarized, and storage facilities were upgraded in 29 provinces.
- With additional Global Fund resources, including emergency funding and the multi-country TB grant, more than 1.5 million returnees from Iran and Pakistan received HIV, TB, and malaria services.
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