Global Fund halts support

A global fund for activities to fight HIV/Aids, malaria and Tuberculosis has cancelled the next round of funding to several countries, including Uganda.
The unexpected decision taken on Tuesday by the Global Fund Board of Directors, affects the next round of grants (named Round 11) that countries like Uganda would have been eligible to apply for from 2014 to 2016.

Round 11 was supposed to have been launched in August but the estimated funds for it declined from the estimated $1.6b expected in December 2010 to $0.8b in September 2011 and to a negative this month.

The Board yesterday said it will only finance essential services for on-going programmes that come to their conclusion before 2014.

The Fund’s Executive Director, Mr Michel Kazatchkine, said: “It is deeply worrisome that inadvertently, the millions of people fighting with deadly diseases are in danger of paying the price for the global financial crisis.”

holuka@ug.nationmedia.com