US$18.8 million Global Fund grant accelerates Ukraine's HIV/AIDS program
29 January 2003
Global Fund announces signing of two HIV/AIDS agreements in Ukraine
Geneva, Switzerland - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today announces the signing of two HIV/AIDS agreements in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Health component now brings an extra US$16.9 million to the treatment, care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS, including supplying antiretroviral treatments and the treatment of opportunistic infections, as well as strengthening national programs to control HIV infection.
The United Nations Development Programme's component benefits from US$1.9 million to support a broad range of services addressing the vulnerability of high-risk groups to infection, aiming to reduce infection rates among injecting drug users, commercial sex workers, prisoners and the uniformed services.
Prof Andrij V. Pidaiev, Minister of Health of Ukraine (seated center, next to Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund), said at the signing today, "Ukraine was at the very start of Global Fund activities actively working in the Transitional Working Group and as a result was given the privilege to be a board member representing European recipient countries. Today Ukraine signed the first Grant Agreements in the region and we are proud of this and will pursue the policy of true partnership in the response to the epidemic in Ukraine."
Intended results for the Ministry of Health component include: antiretroviral therapy and therapy for opportunistic infections for 1,500 people living with HIV/AIDS, the number of infected babies born to HIV-positive women is reduced by 10 per cent; 50 per cent of pregnant women will be treated with antiretroviral therapy, to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Intended results for the UNDP component include: coverage of injecting drug users by prevention programs is increased to 20 per cent in identified sites, use of sterile syringes is increased to 50 per cent, use of condoms by sex workers while providing services is increased to 30 per cent, use of condoms by men in uniform is increased to 40 per cent.
Other new agreements have also been announced today with Argentina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Panama and the Lutheran World Federation. These, along with previously signed agreements with China, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, The Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malawi, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Tanzania, bring the Global Fund commitments to date to over $211 million.
Announcements of more Global Fund grant agreement signings are expected over the next few days.