RWANDA: AIDS projects get new millions

A recently established national HIV/AIDS programme in Rwanda is set to benefit from a new US $30 million World Bank grant.

The country's Multi-Sectoral AIDS Project (MAP) said HIV/AIDS was no longer only a health issue and the programmes had to be broadened to reach all sectors.

"The biggest portion of the funds will be spent on treatment and care. It will also be used to fund small-scale poverty alleviation projects in rural areas," MAP financial specialist, Jean-Marie Manzi Kabarega, told the UN news service PlusNews.

Kabarega said the project was currently promoting AIDS awareness, improving access to treatment, and tackling the stigma and discrimination associated with the pandemic.

She said HIV/AIDS treatment and care would use up 33 percent of the new money, while 30 percent would go to the private sector to support awareness and poverty-alleviation projects. The remainder would be channelled through government institutions.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

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