Global Fund pledges $574m to Malawi for Aids fight –Minister
Global Fund has pledged a total USD574 million to Malawi in order to help the country ably fight against Malaria, Tuberculosis and Hiv and Aids, the country’s health minister has disclosed.
Minister of Health Jean Kalirani disclosed at a news conference on Monday on return from Switzerland where the Malawi delegation had a meeting with Global Fund Director Dr Mark Dybul.
“The meeting was held in a very friendly and cordial environment. Let me thank His Excellency Professor Peter Mutharika for allowing the delegation to travel and also Dr Dybul and his entire executive staff at the Global Fund for welcoming us very warmly in Geneva,” said Kalirani.
Observers say government sent a delegation on a fire-fighting mission over pressure exerted on National Aids Commission to get back the money that the institution gave to Beautify Malawi Trust (BEAM) and Mulhako wa Alhomwe which were given controversially.
But Davie Kalomba NAC acting executive Director said the trip had nothing to do with NAC grants.
He said the trip to Geneva was arranged “in order to provide the senior management with an update on the performance improvement plans submitted to the Global Gund by Malawi’s two principal recipients these are NAC and Ministry of Health.”
Kalomba added: “On top of that the delegation was to inform Global Fund about additional safe guards and risk mitigation measures that will be undertaken to restore confidence in Malawi financial management and oversight.”
During the news conference, Kalirani said Malawi Government has committed USD30 million towards national response to fight the three diseases HIV and Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Kalirani said she had a chance to meet United Nations Aids boss Michael Sidibe who is said to have commended Malawi for the concrete actions taken in restoration of credibility in the sustainable and accountable management of HIV and Aids resources.
But in an interview, executive director of Malawi Network of Religious Leaders living with Aids, Reverend Mac Donald Sembereka said there is nothing new which the delegation has brought, saying the money in question was pledged under the previous PP administration.
“The issues that we need to have been telling Malawians is whether Malawi as a country has put enough safeguards to avert further misdirection of resources to ineligible entities though there is no solace that NAC is the principle recipient of Global Fund money,” said Sembereka.
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Good I will now finish building my mansion in area 43. Thank you Global Fund!!!!
The fact is Global fund has received assurance that their money will not be missused again. That is the reason they have gone back to honour what they pledged in 2014. Now the ball is on govt’s court to ensure that nac money is used properly otherwise we will Lose future funding. Nothing to rejoice here because tapulumukila Mkamwa Mwa mbuzi. It is a warning to the govt and that the demos did their job of pressurising the govt to do something to save the funding from GF. This is a win win situation for all for the time-being!!! Nac… Read more »
Thanks Global Fund!
THANKYOU SEMBEREKA FOR ENLIGHTENING US.SOMEONE WANTED TO KWELA PACHULU.IYI NDIMPANVU ZA MAYI JOICE BANDA NOTHING NEW
Kodi a judiciary ndi a ACB boma linaonjezera zingati kuti asiye sitalaka? kapena ali zyolizyoli
As far as HIV is concerned, funding will always be made to Malawi because failing which it jeopardise the Azungu health aswell. These people dont really fund coz of internal politics. Always have hidden agenda. We can talk about oil wars
Ziliko kuno,Bola ziwafikired aini ake ndalamzo.Kupanda apo enanu mutengerapo nsambi.
Sembereka is stupid. He lost the elections and he should remain quiet. I know he has lost his plot
Kodi mbuzi za ma demo pano zili kuti
Now that government and stupid NAC has seen how people can react over insensitive and politically engineered disbursement of funds , mukhale pansi ndikusiya utsiru umenewo. Sweep clean your houses. Zomapereka dollar Ku Mulhakho siyani. Mmapwala anu. You would have put many lives of people at risky. Dzikoli sila Mulhakho okha
Let us be honest. It is President Peter Mutharika who sourced the US$574 million when he met Mark Dybul in New York. This mission to Geneva has brought nothing back they have only blown MK10 million basi that is what they have achieved. This job was already done by Prof Peter Mutharika in the presence of Ben Phiri and Chimwemwe Chipungu in New York in September 2014 and even Nyasatimes has the records.