25 November 2008
Maputo — World Bank support for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Mozambique, known as the MAP project, will be extended for a further 12 months, to allow the use of the remaining funds to implement what was initially planned as a five year (2003-2008) project.
"About 22 million US dollars are still available and this sum can be used in programmes to prevent HIV infection, and in increasing the availability of anti-retroviral drugs", Health Minister Ivo Garrido told reporters on Monday, after a meeting of the management of the National AIDS Council (CNCS).
Garrido said that a mission from the World Bank will be in Mozambique from 1 to 12 December to work with the CNCS in determining how the money will be used.
"We shall first assess implementation of the project since it began, in 2003, and we shall then find the best ways of using the funds allocated to the project, decide how disbursements should be made, and speed up the approval of proposals presented by civil society organisations", said Garrido.
Monday's meeting also discussed a report from the reference group on means of preventing the spread of HIV infection, prior to its presentation to the government on Tuesday, as well as preparations for the events that will mark 1 December, World AIDS Day.
Should the report on prevention be approved, it will require a plan of action specifying precisely how a new prevention strategy will be implemented. "This time the efforts will be directed and properly structured", said Garrido.
He stressed that this would mean greater clarity in regards to the areas where action should be concentrated
Garrido said that the fight against AIDS is one of the major priorities of the government because the disease remains "a serious obstacle to our efforts to overcome poverty".
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