Fund expands Aids treatments
30 June 2005
Newly reported figures show that programmes financed by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria have continued their rapid expansion of treatment and services.
In the last six months, the Global Fund says it supported 90 000 new people on antiretroviral treatment for Aids.
A total of 220 000 people are now on Aids treatment through programmes supported by the Global Fund.
An additional 215 000 people were provided with tuberculosis treatment under the Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (DOTS) strategy, bringing the total number of people treated for TB to 600 000.
Another 1.55-million bed nets to help prevent malaria were distributed or reimpregnated, more than doubling the total number of nets to 3.1-million.
Combined, the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and the Global Fund have supported national programmes that have treated a total of 350 000 people for HIV/Aids to date.
The fund
says these results could not have been achieved without substantial technical assistance from UNAids, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and a number of other partners.
"The scale-up of Aids treatment in particular is a collaborative effort, where donors, international organisations and NGOs all play supporting roles in national campaigns in many countries to roll out treatment, often under extremely difficult circumstances," it said in a statement.
The Global Fund-supported HIV/Aids programme aim to build up a long-term, sustainable effort to halt and reverse the pandemic in the countries hardest hit and to prevent its growth in countries still in the early stages.
"Resources from the Global Fund therefore go to a wide range of activities, from training and infrastructure strengthening in order to expand treatment and care, to large-scale prevention programmes and expansion of testing and counselling."
"It is extremely
impressive that health programs deliver such substantial results just out of the starting gates," said Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund.
"The dedication and commitment to results in the large majority of the programmes we support is very encouraging, and we are optimistic that these programmes will continue to meet or exceed their targets in the coming years."
The Global Fund has so far committed US$3.5-billion to over 300 programs in 127 countries. Around 60% of this funding has gone to Africa, and 55% to fighting HIV/Aids.
Around half of the funding is being spent on medicines, mosquito nets to prevent malaria and other products, while the other half is for strengthening health services.
To date, $1.3-billion has been disbursed. The programmes are on track to meet combined targets over five years of 1.6-million people on Aids treatment and 3.5-million people treated for TB, though they are slightly behind schedule in the goal of
distributing 108-million bed nets.
A more extensive analysis of 51 grants that have reached the 18-month mark shows that 80% of these grants are performing against targets.
Combined, these grants have achieved between 85% and 171% of their targets to date.
Source BuaNews
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