Rain on the World AIDS Day parade
Dec. 1st, 2011 07:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nairiporterSlowdown in global money to fight Aids cause for concern
http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/editorials/2011/11/29/slowdown-in-global-money-to-fight-aids-cause-for-concern
The future is very uncertain, said Safari Mbewe, spokesman for the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/ Aids, yesterday in Johannesburg.
Civil society organisations sounded the alarm yesterday about the slowdown in global financial commitments to fighting Aids.
Mbewe's statement summed up the dire situation that has befallen thousands of people across Southern Africa whose survival as the HIV-Aids epidemic rages depends on donor funding.
The shocking news of the funding cuts comes only three days before World Aids Day, on Thursday.
About 20% of South Africa's HIV spending is paid for by The Global Fund and other donor bodies and if such funding were to stop the consequences for our people across the region would be catastrophic.
The Global Fund, which redistributes money from donor countries such as Italy, the US, and Germany to countries with a high HIV, TB and Malaria incidence, announced that it had put all country funding applications for this year on hold because of "current resource constraints".
Swaziland depends on The Global Fund allocations for about 10% of its HIV budget, and Zimbabwe relies on it for more than 60% of its donor funds for HIV-treatment programmes.
Though South Africa's systems to increase the number of people on antiretrovirals treatment are on track, any drop in funding will derail the little progress the government is making.
No stone should be left unturned in our battle to keep these non-government organisations operating.
Daygan Eager, of human rights advocacy group Section 27, is right to point out that healthy populations are productive populations, and productive populations are less dependent on donor funds.
He said the argument that we need to overcome the financial crisis before dealing with health does not hold water.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/editorials/2011/11/29/slowdown-in-global-money-to-fight-aids-cause-for-concern
The future is very uncertain, said Safari Mbewe, spokesman for the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/ Aids, yesterday in Johannesburg.
Civil society organisations sounded the alarm yesterday about the slowdown in global financial commitments to fighting Aids.
Mbewe's statement summed up the dire situation that has befallen thousands of people across Southern Africa whose survival as the HIV-Aids epidemic rages depends on donor funding.
The shocking news of the funding cuts comes only three days before World Aids Day, on Thursday.
About 20% of South Africa's HIV spending is paid for by The Global Fund and other donor bodies and if such funding were to stop the consequences for our people across the region would be catastrophic.
The Global Fund, which redistributes money from donor countries such as Italy, the US, and Germany to countries with a high HIV, TB and Malaria incidence, announced that it had put all country funding applications for this year on hold because of "current resource constraints".
Swaziland depends on The Global Fund allocations for about 10% of its HIV budget, and Zimbabwe relies on it for more than 60% of its donor funds for HIV-treatment programmes.
Though South Africa's systems to increase the number of people on antiretrovirals treatment are on track, any drop in funding will derail the little progress the government is making.
No stone should be left unturned in our battle to keep these non-government organisations operating.
Daygan Eager, of human rights advocacy group Section 27, is right to point out that healthy populations are productive populations, and productive populations are less dependent on donor funds.
He said the argument that we need to overcome the financial crisis before dealing with health does not hold water.
