Zimbabwe's appeal for Aids money turned down

Zimbabwe's appeal for Aids money turned down

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By Staff Reporter/Agencies

THE Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has turned down a Zimbabwean application for a multimillion-dollar grant because of "political" reasons, the country's health minister was quoted as saying Sunday.

Zimbabwe, among the top three countries affected by these diseases, will now have to drop plans to expand its anti-retroviral treatment plan for those suffering from HIV/Aids, The Standard weekly reported.

"Yes, our proposal was turned down and we know it is very political," Health Minister David Parirenyatwa told the newspaper.

"These are the sanctions that anti-government organisations and the MDC (opposition Movement for Democratic Change) are calling for and this has resulted in a humanitarian proposal being turned down," he said.

The Sunday Mirror reported that the decision was made at this month's International Aids Conference held in Bangkok.

Global fund executive director Richard Feacham said the Zimbabwean request was turned down for a variety of reasons.

"Yes, the politics of a nation plays a role when we determine the country's application," Feacham was quoted as saying.

"There is a broad set of challenges in Zimbabwe that we consider in coming up with an agreement to reject their proposal, how and to whom we disburse the funds (and) what exchange rate regime do we use?

"It does not help the people of Zimbabwe to pass money through channels which are not well worked out," he said.

The Global Fund channels money through national governments to some of the biggest fronts in the Aids war.

Zimbabwe has one of the highest Aids rates in the world with an estimated 24.6% of adults infected in a population of more than 11 million.

The country had applied for $516 million to finance its anti-retroviral treatment programme, the Sunday Mirror reported, but The Standard quoted sources close to the fund saying it had asked for $218 million.

Either way, the government will not be able to expand its treatment programme into rural areas. It currently provides drugs at a total of four hospitals in the two biggest cities, Harare and Bulawayo.

"The government does not have the capacity to roll out the programme on its own and unless other major donors come in, it is going to be a major disaster," said an Aids activist.
AFP
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