Rwanda donates US$ 1 million to the Global Fund
The Government of Rwanda has donated US$ 1 million to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The pledge is part of the Third Voluntary Replenishment of the Global Fund, which has received US$ 11.7 billion in financial commitments for the years 2011-2013. Rwanda is the fourth African country to give financial support to The Global Fund.
“Even a modest additional investment can save millions of lives, improve overall health of the population, strengthen health systems and provide economic gains through increased productivity of the workforce”, said Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, at the African Private sector summit organized by Friends of the Global Fund Africa in the country's
capital, Kigali, last Saturday November 6. “We all stand to benefit from that.”
Rwanda has also been actively engaged in the Global Fund board and committees' discussions to inform and guide policies, contributing to its governance.
“In addition to helping finance further scale up of treatment and prevention, Rwanda's contribution carries strong political significance”, said Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of The Global Fund. “It shows Rwanda's solidarity with the global fight against these epidemics.”
In total, The Global Fund has approved almost US$ 700 million in grants to Rwanda, to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and to strengthen health systems. To date, around US$ 363 million have been disbursed. The country has shown an outstanding ability in turning funding into improving public health.
Rwanda is one of the countries in Africa that is set to reach the Millennium Development Goals targets, if its interventions keep the current pace, particularly in the area of maternal and children's health. The country reduced under-five mortality by 50% and maternal mortality by 64%, between 2000 and 2008.
Currently, 9 countries which receive funds from The Global Fund have also made contributions.
This article was originally posted on East Africa Business Communities
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