As countries prepare Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) funding requests in an increasingly constrained financing environment, there is growing emphasis on strategic prioritization, integrated service delivery, and measurable impact. At the same time, elimination of vertical transmission (EVT) of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B remains an important public health priority with significant potential to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Integrating elimination of vertical transmission into Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 funding requests: A strategic planning and implementation guide for countries aims to help country teams align EVT priorities with evolving Global Fund guidance, strengthen integration across service delivery platforms and systems, and identify practical opportunities for phased implementation and sustainable scale-up. Complementing companion resources developed by partners, including CHAI and Evidence Action, this resource provides practical support for strategic prioritization, integrated service delivery, readiness assessment, and phased implementation planning to strengthen EVT within broader maternal, newborn, adolescent, and child health (MNCAH) and primary health care (PHC) platforms.

The guide includes:

• strategic framing and investment rationale for EVT within GC8
• practical guidance for prioritizing and integrating EVT investments across MNCAH and PHC platforms
• mapping of EVT interventions and system needs across relevant GC8 modules to support planning, budgeting, and implementation
• a five-step approach for implementation planning, readiness assessment, and iterative scale-up
• links to companion tools, illustrative indicators, and implementation resources to support country action

The guide was developed to support ministries of health, Country Coordinating Mechanisms, Global Fund Principal Recipients, civil society organizations, and technical partners engaged in GC8 country dialogue, proposal development, budgeting, and implementation planning. By positioning EVT within broader MNCAH and PHC systems, this guide aims to support countries to develop more integrated, strategic, and implementation-oriented GC8 funding applications.

This guide was developed by SAFEStart+, a four-year initiative funded by and implemented in partnership with Unitaid by PATH, the International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa, and the World Hepatitis Alliance.