Zimbabwe: Don't Politicise Cash for HIV/Aids, Fund Told
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
29 August 2008
Posted to the web 29 August 2008
Simbarashe Musiyiwa
Harare
The Global Fund for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been challenged to stop politicising HIV and Aids funding and distribute the amount due to Zimbabwe in time as is has done for other countries in the region.
Since Zimbabwe's standoff with London began at the turn of the millennium, the illegal Western sanctions have been used to have the fund either deny Zimbabwe assistance for flimsy reasons or allot it amounts far below what other African countries get.
Zimbabwe receives an annual average of US$4 per HIV-infected person compared to US$74 for other African countries.
The country is yet to receive funds for round five approved in 2005, yet countries like Malawi and Zambia have already received funds for round seven and are expecting allotments for round eight.
In an interview with The Herald, the director for sexually transmitted infections, HIV/Aids and TB programme in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Owen Mugurungi, said the disbursement of funds for Zimbabwe always lagged behind other countries in the region.
"There are always delays in the disbursement of funds for Zimbabwe from the Global Fund.
"Funds for round 1 and 5 of the programme took 24 months before they were released while other countries in the region had their funds disbursed within 12 months.
"Zimbabwe is now receiving funds for round five of the programme which it qualified for in 2005 due to unexplained reasons when other countries like Zambia and Malawi have received funds for round seven," said Dr Mugurungi.
Zimbabwe is hosting a team from the Global Fund that is in the country for an audit for four weeks.
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Dr Mugurungi also revealed that Zimbabwe was failing to access the funds for the fight against HIV and Aids on baseless grounds.
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