Govt to appeal for global AIDS fund again
Kathmandu, November 24:
The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is appealing once again for funding in round 6 for Global Fund to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care in Nepal.
The next round of national Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) meeting will take place on December 3. The government will appeal for funding within December 10. The government has sought $29,034,173 for the five-year programme.
Arjun Bahadur Singh, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said the government will re-appeal for the global fund, as the lack of funds will affect the operation of programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.
He said a series of CCM meeting is being held to re-appeal for the global fund.
The government is providing free Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ARV) treatment to around 500 patients. According to an estimate, at least 1,200 HIV-infected should be provided ARV treatment this year.
Rishi Raj Ojha, president of Nepal HIV/AIDS Alliance and member of the CCM, said all grass-roots level treatment and prevention programmes will be affected if the government does not get funds.
The technical review team of global fund rejected the country proposal, stating that one of the two principal recipients (PRs) for this proposal also submitted an independent round 6 proposal with somewhat similar objectives and activities, which make it hard to interpret the relationship between the two PRs and the CCM for the current proposal.
The Family Health International was the PR. The proposal was disapproved by the global fund technical review team but encouraged to re-submit following a major revision. “If only the country proposal can get one step up then it would create an opportunity to get the global fund for next round,” said Ojha.