In a signing ceremony on 16 January eight Myanmar non-governmental organizations working with communities to fight the three diseases received small grants of $70,000 from the 3DF.

The grants are a response to a study commissioned by 3DF that identified ways to work more closely with community-based organizations.  The first eight grantees were chosen from 60 expressions of interest, with more grants to be allocated to local organizations during the coming year.

The 3DF is a multi-donor initiative to reduce the human suffering caused by malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS in Myanmar. It was launched in October 2006 with a total budget of $100 million over five years. The consortium of donors includes Australia, the European Union, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Selected as the fund manager for the 3DF, UNOPS has a team in Yangon comprised of technical and support staff, who handle the day-to-day management of the Fund according to priorities set through the donor consortium and the Fund Board.

Since 2007 3DF has granted a total of $41 million to 38 projects from 15 international non-governmental organizations, five UN agencies, medical associations and local non-governmental organizations, reaching out to remote communities through mobile and fixed clinics, volunteers, basic health workers and township medical officers working in the national disease control programmes.

More information: Three Diseases Fund

Representatives from the eight non-governmental organizations at the signing ceremony