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The Global Fund (GF) has allocated close to US$350 million to Zambia to help accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the period 2024 to 2026.
The allocation represents an increase of US$34million from the US$315 million that was allocated for the period 2021 to 2023, according to Global Fund Zambia Country Coordinating Mechanism Chairperson Joshua Banda.
Read more: Zambia to receive long-acting anti-HIV AIDS injectable drugs in October —Govt
Announcing the development on Tuesday in Lusaka, Banda also revealed that the Fund has allocated in principal a separate US$32 million towards Covid-19 response and pandemic preparedness following the extension of the utilization period of the funds to December 31, 2025.
He said that HIV Programming had received the highest allocation at US$251 million followed by Malaria at US$77 million and TB interventions at US$21 million among others .
“A further US$12, 400, 000 has been allocated as catalytic matching funds to cater for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP (US$3million) finding missing TB cases (US$4 million) and country system strengthening and response (US$5.4 million),” Banda said.
He said Zambia is at liberty to alter the disease allocations provided that the adjustments are made based on an evidence based analysis of programmatic and system gaps approved by the Fund.
Banda said the Fund determines the volume of it’s three year support to a recipient country based on it’s disease burden and status of it’s economy, Zambia is classified as a lower middle income country.
“I wish to seize this opportunity to inform you that Geneva base Senior Fund portfolio Manager in charge of Zambia Dr. Bertha Simwaka was in the country recently leading a nine member team and expressed optimism that the increased funding to Zambia will enable the country make more positive impacts on its citizens,” he said.
Banda said the Global Fund team of Expert’s visit coincided with the commencement of the funding application process which has already taken off with a clear road map to guide the process up to the submission in May 2023.
Contributed by Augustine Sichula
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