Research Unit: PEC-Knowledge Management

Using knowledge brokerage to strengthen African voices in global decision-making on HIV and AIDS

Understanding the role of evidence or when evidence counts in global development efforts seeking to address issues largely affecting the poor cannot be complete without an understanding of the voices of the affected countries in these processes. The role of global actors in tackling HIV/AIDS in developing countries provides an interesting case to understand how voices of affected countries inform the decisions made by global response efforts.

The 47 countries of sub-Saharan Africa hold two seats on the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Collectively, the countries have been recipients of more than 65 per cent of Global Fund cumulative investment, making their input into the governance and decision-making by the Board critical to the Global Fund’s success. Language differences, a sub-par process for selection of leadership and a lack of technical support have inhibited meaningful participation.

To address these challenges, stakeholders developed a governance framework and established an Africa Constituencies Bureau to improve evidence-informed decision-making, build cohesion among the diversity of countries and improve the quality of input. This chapter documents the process by which the constituencies improved their evidence use in decision-making in order to share some lessons with other actors working in related processes. […]

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