Uganda loses HIV funding over fears of misuse
Uganda has lost 25bn Ugandan shillings ($12m) of Global Fund money due to concerns over poor accountability, according to reports this week.
The Global Fund has refused to release a second $10m instalment from the $36m pot it allocated for HIV/Aids activities in Uganda in 2003 because it was not satisfied with how initial payments have been spent, reported New Vision.
A further $2m is yet to be disbursed from the $24m allocated for malaria work under the Global Fund in 2004.
In 2005 Uganda was suspended from the Global Fund over irregularities in the administration of funds. This year, the Ugandan government began proceedings to prosecute those accused of embezzling Global Fund money, including two former health ministers.
Aidspan, the independent watchdog that monitors Global Fund activities worldwide, said Uganda failed to satisfy the fund that the arrangements put in place after its suspension were robust enough to protect its money from misuse.
In an interview with New Vision, an Aidspan representative said the $12m grants were now so far behind schedule that they “become irredeemable”.
The news comes in the same week that the Uganda Aids Commission said Uganda requires an estimated 1.3tr Ugandan shillings ($700m) over the next 18 months to finance vital HIV/Aids activities.
The commission said that 25% of this sum should go towards prevention and 50% towards treatment, care and delivery of drugs and services.
This week has also seen groups representing people living with HIV and Aids reject Uganda’s new draft HIV/Aids prevention and control bill 2008.
The draft bill criminalises the intentional transmission of HIV. The National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids Networks in Uganda said that the country should avoid creating scenarios where people living with HIV/Aids are looked on as criminals.
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