Kakaire A. Kirunda
15 September 2008
Although Uganda has had grants worth Shs771.4 billion approved by the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the last five years, the country has only been able to receive Shs257.2 billion. On average, as of September 1, the rated Uganda grants are 28.3 months behind schedule, according to an analysis by Aidspan, an independent watchdog of the Global Fund.
The analysis shows that for phase one of round one, the country put in a proposal of $36 million (Shs58.7 billion) to scale up the national response to HIV/Aids but only $26 million (Shs42.4billion ) was released. And for phase two, the approved $12.5 million (Shs20.4billion) has not been disbursed to date, 44 months down the road.
In round two, the country asked for two grants for malaria and tuberculosis. For malaria there was only one phase and of the requested $23 million (Shs37.5billion), the Global Fund released $21 million (Shs34.2billion) representing 91 per cent. And for TB, in phase one, a sum of $4.6 million (Shs7.5billion) was approved but $4.5 (Shs7.3billion) was released.
To expand Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and care and support of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs), in round three, a sum of $70.2 million (Shs114.4 billion) was approved under phase 1 but only 66 per cent of it has been disbursed to date. While phase 2, for which $12.2 million (Shs19.8 billion) was approved, no funds have been disbursed until now.
Under round four, $59 million (Shs96.2 billion) of the approved $66.4 million (Shs108.2 billion) was disbursed in the first phase but the $71 million (Shs115.7 billion) for phase two remains undisbursed. No information exists on round five but for round six, a proposal was submitted for scaling up interventions of tuberculosis prevention, control, treatment, care and support in Uganda.
A grant of $8.1 million (Shs13.2 billion) for phase one was approved and an agreement signed but only $901,385 (Shs1.5 billion) has been disbursed while the second phase for which $10.9 million (Shs 17.8 billion) was requested has not been approved.
For round seven, two grant requests for HIV/Aids and malaria worth Shs198.2 billion were approved but no fund have been released. Ms Mary Nanono, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, said on Thursday that the delays among other things was linked to the 2005 suspension that the Global Fund slapped on Uganda for mismanagement of the funds.
"When the suspension happened, some of those grants had already been approved. So the suspension affected the flow of funds apart from money for procuring medicines. This has continued coming to date," she told Daily Monitor, adding that occasional delays in submitting regular reports to the Global Fund have also affected the speedy disbursement of funds.
Uganda was in August 2005 suspended from the Global Fund after an audit indicated that the Ministry of Health had misused $ 1.6 million. The then ministers Maj. Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr Alex Kamugisha were later dropped from Cabinet.
Ms Nanono also said delays in securing qualified audited books of account from the AG have affected the funds release. She however said the funds could start flowing in soon. "The negotiations we have had with the Global Fund have been fruitful and all will be fine soon."
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