RWANDA: Global Fund give US $14-million to fight HIV/AIDS

Rwanda is to receive a US $14-million grant from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Health Minister Ezechias Rwabuhihi said at a news conference in Kigali.

State-owned Radio Rwanda reported that Rwabuhihi made the announcement on Friday at a joint news conference with the World Health Organisation representative, Dr Ousman Diouf and the USAID technical adviser on AIDS and child survival, Barbara Sow.

Under the proposal Rwanda submitted to the fund, the government would use the money to expand health services to all the country's districts, the radio reported. Specifically, it reported, the services would include treatment of selected opportunistic infections associated with HIV/AIDS, and the programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus. Diouf told PlusNews on Wednesday that voluntary testing and counselling would also be offered.

He said a survey was in progress to update figures for HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country of 7.2 million. Old data showed prevalence of 11 percent in urban areas and 14 percent in rural areas.

"What we know is that prevalence is going down in urban areas, because people are aware of the infection," he said. "But most people live in rural areas, and we have to do more to raise their awareness of the disease."

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