Action Aid International criticizes WB funding model in HIV/AIDS
sector
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The agency called for the establishment of a holistic support
system for financing HIV and AIDS control programmes in develop-
ing countries.
In a comprehensive report on "Emerging Governance Issues on HIV
and AIDS in Asia", the NGO felt that the pre-conditions set by
WB for availing the funds can only aggravate the conditions that
create vulnerability to HIV. "The WB allocates large sums of
money to fight HIV and AIDS, the money will only be available if
the borrowing countries first agree to adhere to IMF loan condi-
tions," it noted. The agency felt that a system, integrating
preventive and promotive measures along with treatment with ARV
has to be evolved. Rational use of ART as a part of comprehen-
sive care of HIV positive persons and monitoring of ART by civil
society was also suggested as essential.
The report also indicates that the private sector financing con-
stitutes a very minor proportion of total spending across the
Asian region. "The role of the public sector will remain criti-
cal in terms of prioritizing investments both for and within the
health sector, as well as in the signals that it sends to the
private sector," it said. Another major finding of the study was
that out of the contracts worth $ 3.4 billion the Global Fund to
fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) signed in 2002-'05,
only $ 1.6 billion was disbursed. "Donors and countries hit
heavily by HIV and AIDS are now asking why funds are sitting
lazy in the WB safe. Except for Cambodia and Laos, per capita
health investment by the Global Fund in Asian countries has been
less than $1per capita," the report stated.
The report, second in the series brought out by Action Aid was
released here on April 7th.
source: http://www.pharmabiz.com