Health Protection Agency (HPA) has published a policy regarding the disbursement of MVR 3 million annually to civil society organizations and associations participating in efforts to increase tobacco awareness.
The policy outlines the procedures to be followed in providing financial assistance to civil society organizations and associations active in tobacco control efforts, out of the public health preservation efforts funded by the Maldives Public Health Fund established under the Public Health Protection Act.
According to the policy, the objective of providing financial assistance is to provide funding to registered civil society organizations and associations operating in the Maldives to conduct an activity or activities that encourage reducing tobacco use in the Maldives, protect community health, are evidence-based, and do not conflict with the ongoing efforts and policies implemented by the government in this domain.
The financial assistance of MVR 3 million every year will be disbursed after evaluating the submitted proposals.
The policy also specifies categories under which financial assistance will be provided. Among them, for activities targeted exclusively at a specific community or island, the maximum grant amount ranges between MVR 75,000 and MVR 100,000. If an activity is conducted in a manner that generally benefits everyone in the Maldives, an amount between MVR 100,000 and MVR 300,000 will be disbursed.
If practical work is carried out in more than one region, an amount between MVR 300,000 and MVR 500,000 will be granted as assistance.
According to the policy, the maximum amount that can be included as administrative expenses in each proposal is 20 percent of the submitted amount.
Target areas of tobacco control for which financial assistance will be provided:
- Tobacco prevention and public awareness on tobacco prevention.
- Involving youth and increasing youth awareness in tobacco prevention efforts.
- Providing assistance to quit tobacco use.
- Community-level advocacy to build a tobacco smoke-free environment.
- Preventing the use of tobacco and nicotine-containing products among children and youth.
- Other activities supporting national-level tobacco control efforts.
The policy also outlines eligibility criteria for parties applying for financial assistance. Among them, the applicant must be a civil society organization or association registered and operating in the Maldives, and the activities proposed under the grant must belong to the designated tobacco control target areas. Additionally, the applicant must be an entity that has been operating as an organization or association for at least one year.
To obtain financial assistance, applications can be submitted individually or as a joint application. However, joint applicants must have executed an agreement among themselves to undertake the work.
The policy stated that the amount requested under each category must not exceed the amount allocated for that category. Furthermore, the applicant or applicants must not be involved in trading any tobacco product or be affiliated with such a business.
Submissions applying for assistance must pass all stages of evaluation. Furthermore, the total score obtained when assessed against the evaluation criteria must not be less than 70 marks.
Proposals submitted in this regard will be evaluated by a seven-member awarding committee appointed by the Minister of Health. The committee must include two employees designated by the Ministry. One of them must be a senior employee representing the Ministry of Health's Finance Division.
Additionally, it must include a member of the Youth Advisory Board, a senior employee designated by the Local Government Authority, a senior employee from HPA's Tobacco Control Section designated by HPA, a board member of the Public Health Fund Committee, and a senior employee from the Home Ministry.
The policy also states that no financial allowance or remuneration will be paid for the work performed on this committee, which will be constituted for a three-year term.
