PartnersGF - 2004-07-17
IAC 2004: World Bank releases $1 billion for AIDS in Africa
HDN Key Correspondents Team
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The World Bank has released US$1 billion in grants for AIDS prevention, care and mitigation efforts in sub-Saharan Africa through the Multi-Country AIDS Programme for Africa (MAP). Keith Hansen, Manager of the World Banks AIDS Campaign Team for Africa, revealed this in an interview during the XV International AIDS Conference.
The grants, which are additional to the World Banks contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria, are available at World Bank Country Offices in African countries. Hansen said these funds are aimed at catalysing efforts of grassroots organisations against AIDS.
All that grassroots organisations have to do is show us that they can use the money and that their responses reflect a national strategy grown out of a national authority and ownership, Hansen said. Even if the resources have to be accessed through a government in a World Bank member country in Africa, Hansen indicated that half of $1 billion will be spent by civil society. Already 25 community-based organisations have accessed the money.
This money is meant to catalyse small community-based initiatives that exhibit best practices, Hansen said. Community organisations are given liberty to decide on what to use the resources for.
Hansen was quick to acknowledge that many African countries have debt problems that constrain resource-mobilisation efforts. The Bank has forgiven some debts and developed the highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative to help debt-ridden countries qualify for grants, debt rollovers and low interest loans, he said. As a private institution, whose business is lending, the World Bank cannot do more to forgive debt, Hansen said. It is the stakeholders, the G8 and the developed nations that have to write off the debt.
The World Banks announcement come after a commitment by Global Fund Director Richard Feachem to disburse annually $1 billion in grants towards fighting AIDS, malaria and TB, and four days after Thailands commitment of an annual $1 million to the Global Fund, announced by the Prime Minister Thaksin during the official opening of the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok.
HDN Key Correspondents Team
Email: correspondents@hdnet.org
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