Kathmandu, March 6:

Organisations working for the welfare of people with HIV/AIDS have cautioned the government to be careful while forwarding its bidding proposal for the seventh round of the fund from the Global Fund.

At a press conference, they said that if the government did not “play tactfully and bid for the proposal as per their set criteria” the country might lose the fund this time as well. “For its seventh phase project, the Global Fund has opened proposal from March 1 but some INGOs have already started sending proposals to it,” said Rishi Raj Ojha, president of the Youth Power Nepal.

He accused the INGOs of not doing enough for getting the money from the Geneva-based Global Fund (GF), which has been providing funds to various nations for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

According to Ojha, the GF rejected Nepal’s proposal for the fund for the sixth phase project, as two principal recipients had forwarded their separate proposals. “Family Health International (FHI) challenged the policy of the government,” he said. “In the sixth phase project, the Country Coordination Mechanism passed a proposal and sent it to the GF, naming the Ministry of Health and Population and the FHI as principal recipients,” Ojha said, adding: “But the FHI sent another proposal naming it as the principal recipient.”

He said Nepal had received the fund for the second phase project in 2002. The country was categorised as unsuccessful nation “for receiving money from the GF after the forth phase,” he said. “Some INGOs are suggesting to make five principal recipients this time (seventh phase),” said Rajiv Kafle, president of the Federation of People Living with HIV/AIDS, adding: “But we believe that if there are multiple recipients, 30 to 40 per cent of the fund would be utilised by the principal recipients.” Kafle said the FHI disregarded the criteria for sending a proposal to GF.