01 December 2012
Global Fund and Tanzania sign grant agreement for an additional US$308 million
Geneva – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today announced the signature of a grant agreement that will allow Tanzania to scale up ARV treatment services, in order to have more than 660,000 people on treatment by 2015.
The grant will also allow the country to reach 96% of pregnant women with HIV testing and counselling, providing treatment for over 346,000 HIV positive pregnant women to prevent HIV transmission to their babies by 2015. These results are being achieved through close collaboration with Tanzanian partners as well as with the US Government’s PEPFAR program and other donors such as Germany through its bilateral cooperation.
President H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete said: "With this Global Fund grant, the country will be able to cover all people living with HIV. The Government is also in process of creating the AIDS Trust Fund. We thank the Global Fund for enabling the country to access ARVs, HIV test kits and reagents for the next 3 years. US$ 308 additional millions is a significant amount and this shows that the Global Fund recognizes the efforts undertaken by Tanzania to address the HIV."
At the grant signing event in Lindi, Tanzania, during World AIDS Day celebrations, Dr. Christoph Benn, Director of Resource Mobilization and Donor Relations of the Global Fund said: “I am honoured to be present here today on World AIDS Day to sign this landmark agreement. It takes us closer to our goal of getting down to zero deaths and zero new infections by reaching all people in need of treatment and preventive services.”
Of the total amount signed by this grant, US$274 million (89%) will be dedicated to procurement of ARVs, HIV test kits, laboratory and other health products.
Tanzania is the second largest recipient of grants from the Global Fund, with almost US$1.3 billion of approved funding to date for AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and health systems strengthening programs. There are 312,000 patients on ARV treatment through Global Fund-supported programs, as of March 2012.