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Rwanda: $63 Million for Aids, Malaria Control
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The New Times (Kigali)
15 July 2008
Posted to the web 16 July 2008
Innocent Gahigana and Kemigisha Fatuma
Kigali
The national fight against the spread of HIV/Aids, malaria and Tuberculosis (TB) has received over $63 million (approx Frw35 billion) grant support for the next two years.
The grant from Global Fund (GF) International was announced yesterday during the signing of its pact between the government and the agency's country branch.
Health Minister Dr. Jean-Damascène Ntawukuliryayo signed on behalf of the government, while Dr. Jack Abdoulie signed for GF, at the Ministry's Headquarters.
Abdoulie, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Resident Representative to Rwanda endorsed the pact as the vice chairman of the GF's country coordinating mechanism.
"The effort we made to have this grant is enough for us to achieve better results," promised the minister, adding that the money will help to build 90 maternity centres countrywide.
Ntawukuliryayo told journalists shortly after the signing that other health-related areas to benefit from the grant are the training of teachers in the Northern and Southern Provinces how to teach students about HIV/Aids control methods; and the national family planning programme.
"With the government's continued efforts to prevent HIV/Aids spread, we are also planning to purchase nine million more condoms," he guaranteed.
He called upon all concerned parties in the fight against these three deadly pandemics to quickly and effectively implement what the grant is solicited for.
Ntawukuliryayo hopes its efficient use will enable the GF to release more of the promised Frw75 billion (about $35 million) for up to five years for the control of the prioritised diseases.
For the last two years, Rwanda has received from GF a grant of $69 million (about Frw37.6 billion) to control Aids and TB, which the minister said enabled the country to register success such as the supply of malaria drugs and mosquito nets to the needy, and construction of two health centres in Kigali City and Huye District.
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The minister also said the initial grant boosted Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) activities and the fight against mother-to-child Aids transmission.
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