Zim receives US$65m grant from Global Fund
By, The Herald, December 14, 2006
ZIMBABWE yesterday received its US$65 million grant from the Global Fund to help in the fight against Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
The money was from the first and fifth rounds grant.
Health and Child Welfare Minister and chairman of Zimbabwe’s Co-ordinating Mechanism, Dr David Parirenyatwa, National Aids Council chairman Reverend Murombedzi Kuchera and representatives of the United Nations country team and the Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals signed for the receipt of the money at a brief ceremony in Harare.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Parirenyatwa said the grant would significantly boost Government’s efforts to combat Aids. He said the money would be utilised mainly in the procurement of anti-retroviral drugs.
"The funds will go a long way in ensuring that we effectively fight Aids and will enable us to get more anti-retroviral drugs," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He said about 300 000 people in Zimbabwe needed ARVs and an estimated 50 000 were on treatment.
Forty-two thousand are on the Government ARV scheme while the rest are on private schemes.
"Our vision is to make ARVs available to everyone who needs them by 2010 and we wish that we achieve this even before 2010," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
The minister also revealed that the Global Fund has rejected Zimbabwe’s application for a grant under the sixth round.
Dr Parirenyatwa said the Global Fund had informed Zimbabwe that it had not exhausted funds allocated to it under the first and fifth rounds.
"We are already working out to ensure that we get the funds from round seven. We, however, feel that we should have got the funds for round six as there is need for continuity of our fight against Aids after we exhaust the funds allocated to us in rounds one and five," Dr Parirenyatwa said.
The Global Fund has also turned down Zimbabwe’s bids for funds under rounds two, three and four and the Government said this was for purely political reasons.
The money received yesterday comes as yet another boost after the Government, a fortnight ago, signed a US$40 million joint deal with Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Norway and United Nations agencies in Zimbabwe for the initiation of new HIV/Aids projects.
The partnership, code-named the Expanded Support Programme, is expected to provide ARVs to an additional 20 000 people living with HIV/Aids in 16 districts.
The programme, under which Britain, Norway, Ireland and Sweden would provide the money while UN agencies would avail technical support, will run for the next three years with other donors expected to chip in with more funds.
Zimbabwe has reduced its HIV prevalence rate over the past six years from a high of 33 percent to 18,1 percent.
Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12690&cat=1
ZIMBABWE yesterday received its US$65 million grant from the Global Fund to help in the fight against Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
The money was from the first and fifth rounds grant.
Health and Child Welfare Minister and chairman of Zimbabwe’s Co-ordinating Mechanism, Dr David Parirenyatwa, National Aids Council chairman Reverend Murombedzi Kuchera and representatives of the United Nations country team and the Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals signed for the receipt of the money at a brief ceremony in Harare.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Parirenyatwa said the grant would significantly boost Government’s efforts to combat Aids. He said the money would be utilised mainly in the procurement of anti-retroviral drugs.
"The funds will go a long way in ensuring that we effectively fight Aids and will enable us to get more anti-retroviral drugs," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He said about 300 000 people in Zimbabwe needed ARVs and an estimated 50 000 were on treatment.
Forty-two thousand are on the Government ARV scheme while the rest are on private schemes.
"Our vision is to make ARVs available to everyone who needs them by 2010 and we wish that we achieve this even before 2010," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
The minister also revealed that the Global Fund has rejected Zimbabwe’s application for a grant under the sixth round.
Dr Parirenyatwa said the Global Fund had informed Zimbabwe that it had not exhausted funds allocated to it under the first and fifth rounds.
"We are already working out to ensure that we get the funds from round seven. We, however, feel that we should have got the funds for round six as there is need for continuity of our fight against Aids after we exhaust the funds allocated to us in rounds one and five," Dr Parirenyatwa said.
The Global Fund has also turned down Zimbabwe’s bids for funds under rounds two, three and four and the Government said this was for purely political reasons.
The money received yesterday comes as yet another boost after the Government, a fortnight ago, signed a US$40 million joint deal with Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Norway and United Nations agencies in Zimbabwe for the initiation of new HIV/Aids projects.
The partnership, code-named the Expanded Support Programme, is expected to provide ARVs to an additional 20 000 people living with HIV/Aids in 16 districts.
The programme, under which Britain, Norway, Ireland and Sweden would provide the money while UN agencies would avail technical support, will run for the next three years with other donors expected to chip in with more funds.
Zimbabwe has reduced its HIV prevalence rate over the past six years from a high of 33 percent to 18,1 percent.
Source: http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12690&cat=1
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