DEPENDENCE on donor funding has become a threat to sustaining HIV/AIDS programmes in Zambia, the latest National AIDS Council (NAC) Joint Mid-Term Review (JMTR) strategic framework report for 2006-2008 has shown.

NAC chairperson, Joshua Banda said yesterday in Lusaka at the National AIDS Strategic Framework (NASF) 2006-2010 media advocacy breakfast meeting that the implementation of the current NASF was heavily dependent on donor funding.

"Although achievements have been made in scaling up of HIV and AIDS-related services, the JMTR has revealed that the implementation of the current NASF is heavily dependent on donor funding," Bishop Banda said.

The report states that the dependence on donor funding threatens the sustainability of programmes because their pulling out would leave serious gaps in interventions as well as on staff retention in rural areas, hence, the need for more local funding.

Zambia' actual expenditure on HIV/AIDS increased by almost 50 per cent from US$140.5 million in 2005 to $ 207.9 million in 2006.

However, in 2006, domestic public resources accounted for 15 per cent while 85 per cent was provided from external sources.

Bishop Banda said most of the funds for HIV/AIDS programmes in Zambia were from donors or corporate partners, accounting for 80 per cent.

NAC, through its NASF advocacy, has since recommended the establishment of an AIDS Trust Fund to sustain the HIV/AIDS activities.

He said other challenges noticed included poor quality of services, which was being provided especially where diagnostic services were poorly accessed in rural areas.

On achievements, Bishop Banda said the report showed that there was success in scaling up of HIV and AIDS infrastructure which had translated into saving lives as people on anti-retroviral therapy were now enjoying quality life and living longer.

Efforts in behaviour change community resulted in sustainable high knowledge about HIV and AIDS among the general public, resulting in a decline in HIV prevalence from 16 per cent in 2002 to 14 per cent in 2007.

NAC recommended that men should be compelled to participate in prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) to encourage the menfolk to appreciate HIV testing and PMTCT programmes.