NAMIBIA: US $30.7 million Global Fund grant to benefit recipients

Windhoek, 22 August 2005 (PlusNews) - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria initiatives in Namibia are set to finally benefit from the US $30.7 million granted to the country nearly 10 months ago by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The health ministry last week distributed the second tranche of US $6.4 million in financial aid from the Geneva-based Fund to NGOs and government ministries.

"This is one of the largest distributions of funds to stakeholders in Namibia, and I call on you all to adhere to transparency, accountability and sound management," health minister Dr Richard Kamwi urged on Friday.

Although Namibia's grant was approved during the Global Fund's second call for funding proposals in 2003, an agreement to disburse the funds was only signed in November last year.

"Generally speaking, many things need to be in place before an agreement is signed ... the CCM [country coordinating mechanism] has to get the proper structures in place and provide [us with] concrete work plans," Global Fund communications officer Rosie Vanek told PlusNews.

Vanek admitted that it could take "a significant amount of time" to get this done.

"The first disbursement was received in December 2004 and was predominantly used to set up mechanisms within the ministry of health and social services to manage the funds," noted Dr Daniel Kabira, director of the Namibian Global Fund Programme.

The Fund has committed the US $30.7 million over two years from January 2005 to December 2007.

HIV/AIDS projects will receive the lion's share at $4.6 million, while US $1.4 million will be made available for malaria and US $397,000 for TB programmes.

"We are so happy [with] the N $908,400 [US $139,000] we received," a joyful Tinah Rajaal of local NGO Catholic AIDS Action (CAA) said after being handed the cheque. "This money is for home-based care projects and to support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)."

CAA supports nine OVC initiatives in different parts of the country and provides direct material support to 6,500 children.

The health ministry also received US $307,000 to buy and distribute condoms.

"We can now set up a reliable procurement and distribution chain for the 15 million condoms handled per annum, and we intend to increase that," said ministry official Dr Kalumbi Shangula.

This year Namibia has submitted a second application to the Global Fund's fifth round of financing.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]