HARARE The government will in August this year ask the United States-based Global Fund for more cash to deal with escalating cases of HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria.
Rangarirai Chikure, Country Control Mechanism Secretariat, said the country had received $646 million in total from the Global Fund since 2002 – the second highest amount given to any country.
“Only Nigeria has been given more funds than us and it shows the confidence that the Global Fund has in Zimbabwe, despite some very negative articles about us. We are very transparent and our books are all in order.” Chikure was addressing Senior Journalists attending a one-day workshop on TB organised by SAFAids in Harare.
But Zimbabwe was still rated as a “Risk Country” by the Global Fund.
“This means that all our money comes through the United Nations Development Programme,” he said. “This year we have received $132 million and have spent about $109 million on various items such as buying pharmaceuticals, health services, medical drugs, as well as vehicles for staff. All this can be accounted for by the organisation,” he said.
He said TB had been given about $28,2 million and $20,3 million had already been spent on various items by the organisation.
“We will seek more funds in August this year,” he said. The funds would be made available under Round 11 from the Global Fund.
Zimbabwe has a very high TB prevalence rate – said to be the second highest in the world.
According to a 2009 report from the World Health Organisation, TB remains the leading killer of people living with HIV/Aids, responsible for around 10 percent to 15 percent of all HIV-related deaths throughout the world.
People living with HIV who are infected with TB are 20 to 40 times more likely to develop active TB than people not infected with the HIV virus.
Post published in: News