NEWS: A crunch on HIV/Aids budgets in sub-saharan Africa

A crunch on HIV/Aids budgets in sub-saharan Africa

Thursday, June 18, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE

International donors and African governments are likely to cut health budgets due to the global financial crisis according to a recent Inter Press Service (IPS) report. Health experts fear that increasing unemployment and poverty will lead to less food security and quality of nutrition, which will in turn put more stress on already weak health systems.The IPS report indicates that Tanzania was the first sub-Saharan country to announce a 25 per cent cut of its annual HIV/Aids budget. It goes on to reveal, “The South African government has indicated that large private firms, especially mining companies, are likely to cut their HIV prevention programmes affecting thousands of employees and their families. Even worse, Botswana’s presidential spokesperson, Jeff Ramsay, recently announced that the government will not be able to include new patients in its free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme from 2016 onwards because it does not have sufficient funds to expand the programme.Researchers estimate the negative impact of this crisis will affect 70 per cent of people on ARV treatment in Africa within the next twelve months.”IPS further reported, “Even international donor organisations have started feeling the financial crunch. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced it is at least $4 billion short of the money needed to continue funding essential HIV, TB and malaria services in 2010. The coalition believes there is a $10.7 billion funding gap for regional implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB alone.”Nowhere however did the rather lengthy report particularly refer to Uganda as one of the countries likely to cut its spending on HIV/Aids support. Dr. Penninah Itung Director of Uganda Cares, one of the leading Aids support organisations in Uganda, said they are still assured of further funding from American AIDS Health Care. “We are not aware of such a thing as a cut in our promised funding,” she said when contacted. “We do expect continued funding.”A number of AIDS and tuberculosis activists from across Sub-Saharan Africa – including ARASA, the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the Kenyan Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness – have now come together to lobby for continued health financing.