Nairobi — The World Bank has given a Sh1.3 billion grant to boost the fight against HIV and Aids in six Great Lakes countries.

Speaking at the Sarova Whitesands hotel in Mombasa during the GLIA council of ministers conference yesterday, the executive secretary of the Great Lakes Initiative on Aids (GLIA) Dr Joseph Wakana said the money would benefit programmes in Kenya, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Aids awareness

Dr Wakana added HIV and Aids awareness programmes in several refugee camps would be among the grant's beneficiaries.

Currently, awareness campaigns are being undertaken in several refugee camps in Great Lakes countries including Kakuma in Kenya.

He added that the money would also be used for HIV and Aids programmes targeting refugees returning to their homelands, communities surrounding selected GLIA sites and networks of people living with HIV and Aids.

The conference was attended by Kenya's Minister for Special Programmes, Mr John Munyes and Health ministers from DRC, Burundi and Rwanda. Tanzania and Uganda were also represented.

Refugee camps

Mr Munyes praised GLIA's cross-border HIV and Aids initiatives saying the movement of people and goods in the region was a major contributor to the spread of the pandemic in the region.