In early July, African leaders will meet in Nigeria to discuss the state of the continent's health. The 'Abuja +12' summit comes 12 years after the signing of the Abuja Declaration, when leaders pledged to increase their country's funding for health to at least 15% of their budget.

Africa's health landscape has changed dramatically since 2001. Investments by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have driven progress on these diseases to a point where we can see the end of all three mass killers. And 27 African countries have increased their health investments, although only two have achieved the Abuja Declaration target.

Now Africa's health is at a critical crossroads as the Global Fund looks to mobilize U.S.$15 billion to continue its lifesaving work. How can Africa's leaders support the Global Fund replenishment and continue to strengthen their own health systems? Allan Ragi is Executive Director of the Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium (KANCO), an NGO based in Nairobi and a partner of ACTION, a global network of health advocates. He sat down with ACTION Director Kolleen Bouchane to discuss.

Kolleen: Why must the Global Fund continue supporting Africa in fighting TB, AIDS, and malaria?

Allan: The Global Fund has done a lot of good work and has brought a lot of hope. Many lives have been saved, and smiles have come back on the faces of people. The fact that we have brought hope, that we know evidence of progress, and that we know what to do means that it is not time for the Global Fund to stop.

We can see the impact of Global Fund investments: There are more people living, more improved lives, and more people are able to take care of themselves and become less dependent on others. In the long run, it makes good sense to continue to support the Global Fund.

Kolleen: What must African leaders do to support the Global Fund?

Allan: One of the things we need to see is more African leaders recognizing support from the Global Fund. Even just saying "thank you" on behalf of our populations is important, because 75% of Global Fund resources are used in Africa. But, we don't get many African leaders praising that support.

But for once in the history of the African Union leadership, it is very clear that they are going to be supporting the Global Fund. Previously, it was left more to individual governances but now collectively we are seeing that change. We are hoping that with new leaders, there will be more new champions for the Global Fund. For example, we have been informed that Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's President, has agreed to attend the replenishment. We also hope that Uhuru Kenyatta, the president of Kenya and others, including South Africa, will be champions for the Global Fund.

In the upcoming July meeting in Nigeria, I think we need and we will see more government leaders, including presidents and first ladies campaigning on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Then it will be easier for the Global Fund to make a difference in cooperation with the governments.

African leaders must also adjust their strategies to global strategies in terms of addressing these epidemics. There are many ways they can do that: They can develop strategies that would enable people to access services, go for treatment, and get tested. Leaders can do this by ensuring there is good infrastructure and human resources, and by campaigning in the country to ensure there is a demand for those services. This will ensure that, in the long run, there can be sustainability of Global Fund programs.

Kolleen: What role must civil society play in the upcoming Global Fund replenishment?

Allan: The campaign for replenishment should not be limited to the capitals of the world, but should be started from the village level upwards. The replenishment is one moment, but there must be a sustained movement to support the Global Fund. The advantage of this is that we are not only able to influence mobilizing the funding, but we can also help account for the funding and ensure its impact. We have created a movement, and platforms like the Africa Regional Civil Society Health Platform are doing great work, but it's not big enough yet.

Funders must understand they need to invest in and sustain southern civil society advocacy so we can build a movement to take control of our health outcomes. For example, civil society, using the media, can ensure we draw attention to what is working. This will help garner support for replenishment. And in between events, we need to be able to ensure leaders are being held accountable. Sustained investment in advocacy will ensure we can do this properly.