By Bunmi Yekini
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said on Wednesday it has received a £3 million commitment from Comic Relief UK to strengthen community health systems across Africa, adding fresh momentum to efforts to expand and sustain the continent’s frontline health workforce.
The pledge builds on earlier commitments of $5 million from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation and $6 million from the Skoll Foundation, which together have unlocked an additional $14.9 million in matching funds from the Gates Foundation under the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment.
The combined investments are aimed at helping African countries sustain and expand the work of community health workers, building on the Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund, a platform designed to support nationally led community health systems and prepare them for future health challenges.
“Investing in community health is one of the most effective and equitable ways to save lives, build resilience and strengthen health systems from the ground up,” Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands said in a statement. “These commitments are foundational, setting the stage for others to join.”
Since its launch, the Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund has mobilised $219 million to strengthen community health systems in 22 countries, supporting about 68,000 community health workers with training, supplies, supervision and regular pay. The initiative has helped extend basic healthcare to more than 40 million people, many in remote and underserved communities.
In 2024 alone, community health workers supported through the fund tested 12.8 million people for suspected malaria and treated 7.7 million confirmed cases, according to the Global Fund.
Zambia’s Health Minister, Elijah Muchima, said the programme had helped the country expand training, digital tools and payment systems for community health assistants. “The Africa Frontline First platform demonstrates what visionary partnership can achieve,” he said.
Comic Relief Chief Executive Samir Patel said the organisation would pledge £3 million over three years, matched one-to-one by the Gates Foundation, to support predominantly female community health workers. “At a time of intense pressure on global health, this partnership shows that progress can still be accelerated,” he said.
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf called on other donors to step forward, warning that gains in community health must be protected. “Community health workers do not have the luxury of uncertainty,” she said. “They show up every day for their neighbours, may we all act with the same urgency.”
Leaders of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation and the Skoll Foundation said supporting community health workers was central to expanding access to quality care and building stronger, more resilient health systems across Africa.
Nan Chen, chief executive of Africa Frontline First, said the new round of funding was focused on long-term sustainability. “With the first fund, we put the wheels on the car. Now we’re adding sustainable fuel,” she said.
For community health workers like Margaret Odera in Kenya, the investments signal hope for the future. “Community health workers don’t want a job for a month, they want a career,” she said. “Progress is precious and must be protected.”