A media CSO group, Green Media Campaigners, is calling for the establishment of proper mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the recent US$117,546,670 GC7 Grant awarded under the Global Fund.
The group, through its Lead Campaigner, Steve Doito, emphasized the need for transparency and accountability to ensure the funds are used effectively to improve healthcare outcomes in Liberia.
The group highlighted an April 2022 investigation by the Office of the Inspector General into previous funding, mentioning that the investigation uncovered systemic fraud and misappropriation by staff of the Ministry of Health (MoH), a principal recipient of the grant.
Doito lamented that the investigation found non-compliant expenditures and various types of wrongdoing in 91% of the reviewed expenditures, amounting to US$1.1 million in non-compliant expenditures.
The CSO group expressed deep concern over these findings. “It is regrettable that such a significant portion of previous funds was misused. We must ensure that this does not happen again with the new GC7 Grant. Proper mechanisms must be put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the grant and to guarantee transparency and accountability,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Green Media Campaigners is also advocating for openness and public access to information regarding the allocation of the grant. The group is calling for detailed disclosure on how the funds will be distributed across different healthcare sectors and initiatives within Liberia.