COMPASS 3.0
About COMPASS 3.0
The project brought together civil society organizations, community networks, and global partners to influence policies, improve health financing, and ensure that the needs of communities most affected by HIV remained central to decision-making. At its core, COMPASS 3.0 aimed to shift HIV responses from donor dependency toward sustainable, domestically driven systems. This included advancing domestic resource mobilization, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and promoting the integration of community-led approaches into national health policies and service delivery models.
The project placed strong emphasis on evidence-based advocacy, using community-led monitoring data, rapid assessments, and budget analysis to inform policy dialogue and influence government and global health stakeholders. It worked to ensure that health systems remained responsive and equitable, particularly for key populations, adolescent girls and young women, and people living with HIV. Implemented during a period of significant global health funding uncertainty, COMPASS 3.0 also supported civil society to adapt to emerging challenges, including funding cuts and shifting donor priorities. Through coordinated advocacy, technical support, and coalition-building, the project strengthened the role of civil society in shaping resilient, inclusive, and sustainable HIV and health systems.
Outcomes
- Sufficient HIV financial resources are secured, allocated, and managed efficiently to optimize the near-term response, while supporting the transition to an effective country-managed response for long-term sustained epidemic control.
- Maintain global HIV delivery funding, and support increased domestic and alternate sources of financing.
- Support the strengthening and capacity building of civil society to influence evidence-based allocation of resources (GFATM, PEPFAR and domestic) and investment in effective HIV response strategies.
Results and Impact
Domestic Resources for Health (Human, Technical and Financial)
JONEHA in Malawi’s advocacy contributed to increased allocation for ARVs and essential medicines, including MWK 8.1 billion (4.6 million United States Dollars) to district hospitals, representing a nominal increase of 33% which offsets the 2024/25 drug budget deficit. JONEHA has also influenced progress toward improved disbursement systems, strengthening the medicines supply chain and access to treatment. JONEHA used budget analysis to monitor government commitments to funding ARVs and essential medicines, leveraging CLM data to hold local government finance committees accountable for timely disbursement. Treasury has swiftly moved to expedite timely disbursement of Funds to the Local Government Finance Committee.
Differentiated Service Delivery, HIV Prevention and Access
- In Tanzania Dare’s advocacy contributed to continued strengthening of youth-led HIV prevention initiatives and integration of innovative service delivery approaches. DARE’s sustained advocacy contributed to the inclusion of key biomedical HIV prevention tools, CAB-LA and Lenacapavir in the revised draft of the National PrEP Implementation Framework. Lenacapavir was officially registered in Tanzania in December 2025 marking a major milestone in efforts towards regulatory approval of additional long-acting HIV prevention option Lenacapavir.
- GABINET contributed to continued implementation and expansion of inclusive service delivery approaches within local government health systems. GABINET leveraged CLM evidence to advocate to TACAIDS for the inclusion of MSM and transgender people in the national Violence Prevention and Response (VPR) mechanism, resulting in a commitment to develop modalities for their inclusion. Evidence from the campaign's Case study of violence response monitoring was utilized in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), leading to the GABINET’s selection to lead LGBT data collection for the UPR process, by the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Tanzania.
Policy and Legislation
- Building on the Year 7 establishment of a youth seat in the CCM, My Age Zimbabwe has further strengthened youth participation in national health governance. Through a Global Fund Technical Assistance (TA) grant, My Age enhanced engagement in GC7 HTM implementation and strengthened feedback loops between youth representatives and their constituencies. Advocacy also contributed to the inclusion of robust community engagement and youth participation recommendations in Zimbabwe’s final Pandemic Fund National Proposal, which previously had limited focus on these areas. With active involvement of two youth-led CSO representatives during proposal development, the application was better aligned with donor priorities and improved prospects for funding success. Through coordinated advocacy, technical support, and sustained engagement by COMPASS partners and My Age, Zimbabwe secured a $14 million USD grant under the Pandemic Fund, setting a benchmark for inclusive, community-led pandemic preparedness and response (PPPR) processes and advancing meaningful CSO involvement ahead of the November 2025 target.
- The Sexual Rights Centre (SRC) expanded biomedical HIV prevention for key populations in Zimbabwe by supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s adoption of the PrEP Squad Model into the Operational and Service Delivery Manual for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of HIV in Zimbabwe, with support from the National AIDS Council and the Global Fund. In response to funding shifts, SRC established a PrEP referral pathway across 11 Bulawayo clinics to ensure uninterrupted access and secured two pilot sites (Princess Margaret Ross and Cowdray Park) for Lenacapavir rollout. These interventions culminated in the development and submission of an equity-centred National Lenacapavir Rollout Plan to the Global Fund, formalizing key population–inclusive access within Zimbabwe’s national HIV policy framework.
