Malawi rejects anti-AIDS loan (25)
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I am wondering why no-one from the World Bank has replied to the is-
sues raised in this debate so far, particularly around the issue of
loans vs. grants for AIDS, and around the issue of how best to draw
in the experience and advice of African public health personnel in
framing proposals on how external funds for AIDS should be used.
Is it that the World Bank personnel who work in health in Africa do
not read these mailing lists? [*]
Is it that they do not want to contribute to the debate - if for no
other reasons than to explain their position?
Or don't they have a reasonable explanation?
There are new initiatives emerging - the 'massive effort' using debt
relief resources for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria has the potential to
direct significant resources towards strengthening health system re-
sponses not only for these problems, but more generally. It is timely
that we raise the question about these and other transfers like the
World Bank funds.
Should these be regarded as 'aid' or are they better reconstituted as
transfers to address imbalances under a more global system of public
health rights and responsibilities, that seek to achieve a basic and
agreed standard of public health globally according the level of re-
sources, capacities and knowledge that are available globally. We
certainly understand these rights and responsibilities within our na-
tional frameworks, and embody them in Public Health Legislation (even
if we thereafter have poor implementation records). If we are global-
ising markets, trade, finance etc., why have we fallen so far behind
in a governance system that deals with rights and obligations in pub-
lic health.
Rene Loewenson
Harare/Zimbabwe
mailto:rloewenson@healthnet.zw
*[Presently we have five subscribers from the World Bank under
@worldbank.org D.N. Mod.]
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