Namibia to sit out next round of AIDS funding

NAMIBIA will not apply for funding under the new round of grants from the Global Fund on AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The Under Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Norbert Forster, told The Namibian at the end of last week that Government and its partners in the ?ght against the three diseases have decided to ignore round seven as they still have around US$70 million (about N$490 million) left over from round two to spend on HIV and AIDS programmes in the country. “Last month we completed the ?rst phase of the round two funding and we will be starting with the second phase now.We will have another look at the situation next year,” Forster said.Namibia received US$110 million from the Global Fund during the second round to tackle HIV and AIDS and so far only US$40 million had been used for the three-year programme.The country received substantive funding for the TB programmes under round ?ve and another US$10 million for malaria last year.Thus, at the moment, Namibia has funding for all three components, Forster said.From this year, the Global Fund will be calling for proposals only once a year.Forster said that would suit Namibia, as the country would have enough time to work on a proposal and be able to give a thorough brie?ng on how it had spent the previous money.Last year Namibia submitted a proposal seeking more than US$49,1 million to fund some of its HIV projects over a ?ve-year period but received nothing.Some local HIV-AIDS homebased care activists said the Global Fund’s decision would have “a grave impact” on efforts to curb the disease in the country, as they were banking on the funds to help with some home-based care activities and support for orphans.However, as it is, Namibia did not even manage to use up the US$110 million approved by the Global Fund three years ago because of the bureaucracy involved before the money is released to the country.With the US$49,1 million Namibia was hoping to reduce HIV prevalence among pregnant women in the age group 20 to 24 from 18,2 per cent in 2004 to 12 per cent over the next ?ve years, and the number of infants born to infected mothers from 30 per cent to 25 per cent.Government and its partners were also hoping to use part of the money to distribute 29,5 million condoms on top of the existing effort and give anti-retroviral therapy to 90 per cent of pregnant women and their babies.Another part of the money was destined for care and support for an additional 25 000 orphans and vulnerable children.Namibia ranks among the top ?ve worst HIV affected countries in the world.Since the ?rst HIV prevalence study among pregnant women in the country, which recorded 4,2 per cent prevalence in 1992, the rate of infection rose rapidly and reached a peak of 22,3 per cent in 2002.Two weeks ago the Ministry of Health said the prevalence rate has dropped to 19,9 per cent.The prevalence rate is determined by tests done on pregnant women between the ages of 15 and 49 who attend antenatal clinics for the ?rst time during their pregnancy.Of the 7 303 women who were tested, 1 455 tested positive.Katima Mulilo was, once again, the highest with a 39,4 per cent prevalence, followed by Oshakati with 27,1 per cent and Engela with 27 per cent.The lowest prevalence of 7,9 per cent was recorded at Opuwo and Gobabis.”Last month we completed the ?rst phase of the round two funding and we will be starting with the second phase now.We will have another look at the situation next year,” Forster said.Namibia received US$110 million from the Global Fund during the second round to tackle HIV and AIDS and so far only US$40 million had been used for the three-year programme.The country received substantive funding for the TB programmes under round ?ve and another US$10 million for malaria last year.Thus, at the moment, Namibia has funding for all three components, Forster said.From this year, the Global Fund will be calling for proposals only once a year.Forster said that would suit Namibia, as the country would have enough time to work on a proposal and be able to give a thorough brie?ng on how it had spent the previous money.Last year Namibia submitted a proposal seeking more than US$49,1 million to fund some of its HIV projects over a ?ve-year period but received nothing.Some local HIV-AIDS homebased care activists said the Global Fund’s decision would have “a grave impact” on efforts to curb the disease in the country, as they were banking on the funds to help with some home-based care activities and support for orphans.However, as it is, Namibia did not even manage to use up the US$110 million approved by the Global Fund three years ago because of the bureaucracy involved before the money is released to the country.With the US$49,1 million Namibia was hoping to reduce HIV prevalence among pregnant women in the age group 20 to 24 from 18,2 per cent in 2004 to 12 per cent over the next ?ve years, and the number of infants born to infected mothers from 30 per cent to 25 per cent.Government and its partners were also hoping to use part of the money to distribute 29,5 million condoms on top of the existing effort and give anti-retroviral therapy to 90 per cent of pregnant women and their babies.Another part of the money was destined for care and support for an additional 25 000 orphans and vulnerable children.Namibia ranks among the top ?ve worst HIV affected countries in the world.Since the ?rst HIV prevalence study among pregnant women in the country, which recorded 4,2 per cent prevalence in 1992, the rate of infection rose rapidly and reached a peak of 22,3 per cent in 2002.Two weeks ago the Ministry of Health said the prevalence rate has dropped to 19,9 per cent.The prevalence rate is determined by tests done on pregnant women between the ages of 15 and 49 who attend antenatal clinics for the ?rst time during their pregnancy.Of the 7 303 women who were tested, 1 455 tested positive.Katima Mulilo was, once again, the highest with a 39,4 per cent prevalence, followed by Oshakati with 27,1 per cent and Engela with 27 per cent.The lowest prevalence of 7,9 per cent was recorded at Opuwo and Gobabis.