Matibenga was the guest speaker at the event and she used the opportunity to address the recent withdrawal of donor funding in the area of HIV and AIDS.
“These major changes to the funding landscape will no doubt worsen the overall burden of the pandemic. It is now time for resolute leadership and I have no doubt that our leaders will once again rise to the occasion and prove their unwavering commitment to eradicating HIV and AIDS. In addition, let me call on the donor community to honour their funding commitments to the Global Fund, worth over $2 billion.”
Last week the Global fund announced that it had suspended all applications for its round 11 whose submissions were due in March next year. Zimbabwe now needs to look for alternative ways to fund HIV and AIDS prevention.
Zimbabwe AIDS Network National Director, Lindiwe Chaza Jangira, said local AIDS organisations now had the challenge of prioritising programmes that would reduce the spread of the pandemic.
Post published in: News