Harare — A team from the Global Fund to fight HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria arrived in the country yesterday to discuss a review of Round 8 financing for Zimbabwe's programmes in the areas covered by the organisation.

By mid-Morning yesterday, the team had already paid a courtesy call on Health and Child Welfare Minister Henry Madzorera - who is chairman of the Country's co-ordinating mechanism - and the permanent secretary in the Ministry DR Gerald Gwinji.

A team from the Global Fund to fight HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria arrived in the country yesterday to discuss a review of Round 8 financing for Zimbabwe's programmes in the areas covered by the organisation.

The team comprises Dr Fareed Abdullah (Africa Unit Director), Mr Perry Mwangala (Fund Portfolio manager for Zimbabwe) and Mr Carl Reddy, a tuberculosis consultant.

The three-member delegation also met officials from the United Nations Development Progra-mme.

The team's particular area of focus is budgeting and the performance framework.

Other development partners are expected to meet with the team to deliberate on a retention scheme for health workers and implementation arrangements for the various programmes already on the ground.

Global Fund co-ordinator in Zimbabwe Mr Rangarirai Chiteure said the team would be in the country until next Monday.

Funds from the Global Fund were temporarily suspended following reports that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had diverted US$7,5 million meant for HIV and Aids projects to other uses.

RBZ, however, paid back all it owed the fund creating room for the country to qualify for financial support.

Currently, there are 16 districts throughout the country, which are implementing Global Fund projects. Since the Global Fund's inception in 2000, Zimbabwe only had three proposals approved by the organisation.

These were for Rounds One, Five and Eight.

Under Round Eight, Zimbabwe is yet to receive a penny.

Technical experts have in the past questioned why Zimbabwe's HIV and Aids programmes received less support from the Global Fund yet the country was a world-leader in containing the pandemic.

Allegations of undue interference in the disbursement of funds were validated a few years ago when a senior official with the Global Fund admitted that they had factored in political considerations when looking at Zimbabwe's funding applications.