Zim pledges US$1 mln to Global Fund

Lyon, France,(New Ziana) – Zimbabwe on Thursday pledged US$1 million to the Global Fund, which is seeking to raise at least US$14 billion for its 2021 to 2023 funding cycle in the face of donor fatigue.

The Global Fund is a basket funding where countries pool funds together that are specifically used to support those without adequate resources in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), malaria and HIV.

The fund was set aside in the early 1990s when HIV and TB were a big public menace with the of saving 16 million lives, preventing 234 million new infections and improving health systems with the overall aim being to eliminate the three diseases by 2030.

Zimbabwe has been a beneficiary since 2002.

The Global Fund holds what are referred to as replenishment conferences every three years, with the last one having been held in 2016, which raised US$12.6 billion for its 2017 to 2019 cycle.

Zimbabwe, at the time, pledged another US$1 million.

Funding mobilised at the on-going meeting, which opened on Thursday and ends on Friday, will be used for the 2021 to 2023 cycle.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is representing Zimbabwe at the meeting, said Harare had over the years received US$1.3 billion from the Global Fund, pledging to continue supporting the initiative.

“Since 2002, the Global Fund has approved nearly US$ 1.7 billion to Zimbabwe, of which over US$ 1.3 billion has been disbursed.

Let me express my profound gratitude for this invaluable support,” he told delegates at the opening day of the conference.

“We remain committed to continue to contribute to this worthy effort,and hereby pledge US$1 million.”

With Global Fund support, Zimbabwe has successfully scaled up interventions in the fight against the three disesases.

At least 710 000 people of the 1.2 million on anti-retroviral treatment in Zimbabwe were receiving drugs under Global Fund Support.

The remainder are being supported from local resources through the National Aids Council as well as a grant from the United States government.

President Mnangagwa called for continued support and partnerships in strengthening Zimbabwe’s primary health care delivery.

“We shall continue to maintain the momentum and safeguard the gains chieved, to date. TB detection and treatment as well as the eradication of malaria, remain a priority for my government,” he said.

He said government was developing a robust National Health Insurance Scheme and “stepping up innovative domestic funding initiatives” to strengthen response in fighting diseases.
New Ziana