The National Aids Council has more than $20 million in its bank account which it is failing to convert into US dollars to acquire drugs including ARVs, threatening future availability of the HIV drugs.
Donors are allegedly threatening to reduce their funding since Zimbabwe is not fulfilling its promise to make contributions to the donations. Addressing parliamentarians at a Parliament Capacity Building Programme in Kadoma recently, NAC monitoring and evaluation director Mr Amon Mpofu said there was need to prioritise allocation of foreign currency for the provision of ARVs.
NAC communications manager Ms Madelina Dube said drugs ordered for 2019 were already being dispensed to people living with HIV ahead of time meaning there could be stock outs next year.
We have $25 million parked as Bond Notes and when we got the money from Global Fund it was on the basis that we have domestic funding. We are likely to see a reduction of funding from Global fund. We don’t have foreign currency. The drugs that we paid for has not been paid for in 2017. As such we cannot get more drugs. We had purchased more under Global Fund which we are now dispensing and the impact will be felt next year (2019).
More: Herald
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