Malawi HiV/AIDS dept  tightens on fraud after K2.5bn loot

The department of HIV/AIDS in the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said it has tightened security on fraudulenta practices following a K2.5 billion loot between 2013 and 2015.

The loot was busted by an audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

According to the report, which Nyasa Times has seen, some unscrupulous employees in the department misused the funds donated by US-funded Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

The report implicated the ministry’s director of finance, human resource and HIV.

According to the director of HIV and AIDS in the ministry, Rose Nyirenda, the “incident will not be repeated.”

She spoke in administrative capital Lilongwe after a one-day workshop on district health systems strengthening and quality improvement for service delivery (DHSS).

Nyirenda said soon after discovering that money had vanished, “strong measures” have been put in place which members of staff are adhering to.

She hailed CDC for supporting them, saying most of the projects under it have helped in capacity building for the department.

Management for Health (MsH) project director, Aziz Abdallah, said he was happy with the impact of the project.

He said the projects have benefitted 2.9 million people with the goal of achieving health prosperity and an HIV and AIDS free country.

According to Abdallah, the projects have also contributed to 90:90:90.

“The projects have managed to train members of staff on guidelines to support implantation of the same as well as mentorship and supervision of frontline service providers,” said Abdallah.