The GC8 cycle: financial decisions with heavy repercussions

The GC8 represents the next three-year budget cycle (2027-2029) of the Global Fund to combat malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. Grant applications, which reflect national health priorities, close at the end of July. Currently, North Kivu—a province grappling with armed conflict—is not listed among the selected zones for malaria control funding.
These financial allocations directly determine healthcare access in the most vulnerable regions.

« Over recent years, the Global Fund has been a lifeline for North Kivu residents facing malaria. If funding stops, prevention and treatment services will collapse, leading to a dire situation. Malaria is preventable and treatable. In 2026, no one should still be dying from it or developing severe forms of the disease », warns Stéphane Doyon, MSF’s malaria program manager.

The potential exclusion comes as the province faces multiple crises. The already fragile local healthcare system could be overwhelmed by the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Additionally, the overlapping symptoms of malaria and Ebola complicate diagnoses, delay treatments, and strain already overburdened health facilities.

Armed conflict and surging malaria cases

« North Kivu is one of the provinces hardest hit by armed conflict. Repeated population displacements, food insecurity, and restricted access to healthcare heighten malaria exposure and the risk of severe illness », explains Stéphane Doyon. Conflict between government-backed armed groups and the AFC/M23 has forced civilians to flee into forests and isolated areas—environments ripe for mosquito breeding and lacking healthcare infrastructure.

In 2025, malaria accounted for 48% to 58% of medical consultations in MSF-supported health zones like Bambo, Kibirizi, and Rutshuru. In these areas alone:

• More than 255,000 uncomplicated malaria cases and 26,000 severe cases were treated by MSF, the Ministry of Health, and partners.
• Over 165,560 patients received care in MSF-supported facilities.

Malnutrition: a deadly multiplier in crisis settings

Malnutrition remains a growing issue in many MSF-supported health centers. When combined with malaria, it multiplies the risk of severe complications and death, particularly among children under five.

Shortages and shrinking malaria prevention efforts

Essential malaria prevention measures have already been scaled back in certain zones. In areas historically covered by the Global Fund, no distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets has occurred since June 2023. Logistical hurdles have also prevented treatment supplies and rapid diagnostic tests from reaching North Kivu between July and December 2025.

Facing recurring shortages, MSF has had to procure medications and tests to fill gaps in health centers. Our teams provided:

• 53% of treatments for uncomplicated malaria;
• 35% of treatments for severe malaria in Kibirizi, Bambo, and Rutshuru—areas where MSF works alongside the Ministry of Health and other partners.

A situation unsustainable for a province as vast and crisis-stricken as North Kivu.

MSF’s urgent call for equitable funding

With the grant application deadline looming, MSF urges the Global Fund and Kinshasa authorities to immediately reinstate North Kivu in the GC8 program. The organization also calls on the Ministry of Health to allocate resources based solely on disease burden and civilian vulnerability—ensuring no region is left behind in the fight against malaria.