KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda and the Global Fund today signaled a new phase of partnership by signing five new grants for US$226 million to fight HIV and tuberculosis as well as to build resilient and sustainable systems for health in the country.
Funding for grants supported by the Global Fund partnership come from various donors, many of whom were present at a signing ceremony today, including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and South Korea.
“Under this funding model, the Global Fund aims at creating a bigger impact on the three diseases in its design to provide predictable funding, to reward ambitious plans, to work on more flexible time lines and with a smoother, shorter processing of funds,” said Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of Uganda.
Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Minister of Health, added: “We are committed to efficient utilization of funds and guarantee stewardship to ensure maximization of the monies. To attain this commitment, there is need for increased and sustained funding to ensure testing and treatment for all who are in need and request for holistic support and full country coverage.”
“If Uganda is to achieve its vision 2040, we need a healthy population.” said Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development of Uganda, confirming that the Ministry will receive and implement grants to continue their education and prevention programs as well as expanding provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people living with HIV, including expectant mothers with HIV.
While investing for HIV prevention among general and most-at-risk populations, Uganda aims to increase coverage of ART to 69 percent of people living with HIV in 2017 from a baseline of 44 percent in 2014. The Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV will be further increased from 85 percent to 90 percent by end of 2016. Uganda’s joint TB and HIV control efforts will aim to have all people with TB tested for HIV. It will also seek to give ART to co-infected TB/HIV patients during their TB treatment.
The country’s first nationwide TB prevalence survey is almost complete and the Ministry is expanding its program to identify increasing number of TB cases as well as improving treatment success rate.
“The effective partnership between Government and stakeholders, including the UN family have been instrumental in development of national strategies which will guide the response to the 3 diseases,” said Musa Bumgudu, UNAIDS Country Coordinator. “The commitment of Government to provide additional resources is a sign of shared responsibility and sustainability including achieving the 90-90-90 target even before 2020.”
Building resilient and sustainable systems for health will expand services to local communities. This investment will focus on strengthening the procurement and supply chain management capacity at national and sub national levels; reinforcing the national health information and monitoring and evaluation systems and empowering of communities in order to achieve desired health outcomes in Uganda.
The grant agreements signed with the AIDS Support Organisation will extend services to manage TB/HIV co-infections and also strengthen local health systems to reach out to communities. The Government of Uganda and TASO’s collaborative efforts in community systems strengthening (CSS) aim to engage community groups and leaders in reforming harmful gender-based and socially discriminatory practices that hinder access to health services by key populations and vulnerable groups.
Scott H. DeLisi, US Ambassador to Uganda, said “Today’s signing ceremony is a pledge that we will continue our transparent dialogue with all partners and we will work together to maximize the impact of our shared resources in order to improve the health of Uganda’s people. Without the Global Fund we would not have made the strides that we have in fighting TB and malaria. With this agreement we will do even more.”
Source: Global Fund