On March 17–19, 2026, a Communities and Civil Society Regional Meeting “Ensuring meaningful community engagement in Global Fund GC8 in EECA” was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The event was organized by the EECA Regional Learning Hub with support from the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) and the Global Fund’s Community Engagement Strategic Initiative (CE SI).

The meeting aimed to:

• strengthen the capacity of CCM (Country Coordinating Mechanism) members representing the non-governmental sector from EECA countries that are expected to submit funding requestes under the Global Fund’s eighth grant cycle (GC8) in 2026.
• help CCM members navigate the Global Fund’s technical and procedural guidance within the context of GC8 and to build capacity regarding the development and submission of funding requests.
• facilitate dialogue on regionally significant topics to support national priorities under GC8, including those identified by the EECA Regional Team of the Global Fund Secretariat.

The meeting took place against a backdrop of ongoing uncertainty regarding the global health financing landscape, the disappointing results of the Global Fund’s 8th Replenishment, and the recent receipt of allocation letters by countries. According to these letters, the funding provided under the Global Fund’s 8th Grant Cycle (GC8) will be the final round of support for the majority of countries in the EECA region.

The event was attended by 18 CCM members—representatives of communities and civil society organizations from 6 EECA countries including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. Other partners participating in the event included representatives from the Alliance for Public Health, the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA), the TB Europe Coalition (TBEC), the STOP TB Partnership, and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) EECA. Additionally, 15 speakers joined the meeting online, including representatives from the Global Fund, UNAIDS, and the WHO.

The meeting agenda included a presentation on the key and emerging elements of the Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) funding request process, the roles of CCMs, communities, and civil society organizations (CSOs) in funding requests’ development, and the EECA regional investment priorities for HIV and TB over the next three years. Discussions also focused on ensuring the sustainability of the disease response, the necessity of transitioning from donor support to domestic financing for key and community-priority services, and their integration into national health systems.

Furthermore, the event addressed approaches to securing the sustainability of programmatic components critical to CSOs and communities, such as: gender-responsive services, human rights-based advocacy, and Community Systems Strengthening (CSS), including Community-Led Monitoring (CLM), among others. Prior to the event, consultations were held with partners and participants regarding their expectations and the ‘on-the-ground’ situation concerning existing barriers, challenges, and successes in the HIV and TB response, as well as readiness for the new Global Fund allocation. These consultations helped tailor the agenda to the specific needs of the audience.

The meeting enabled participants to better understand their roles in the funding request development process, both as CCM members and as key stakeholders responsible for ensuring that the community voice is heard and integrated. Participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences, share lessons learned, and discuss best practices for ensuring meaningful community engagement in the country dialogue process, including the development of funding requests and the grant-making process. Furthermore, as part of the event, participants developed draft roadmaps for each country to ensure meaningful community participation throughout the GC8 funding request and grant-making processes.