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Health department dismisses HIV, AIDS fund allegations
Government Communication and Information System
2008-09-12

The Department of Health has dismissed a Sunday newspaper report suggesting that the HIV and AIDS projects funded by the Global Fund face the danger of collapse as a result of the department's incompetence. The projects in issue are funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The department is in constant contact with the Global Fund to ensure the smooth running and implementation of all projects funded by the Global Fund based on the terms of the agreement between the two parties, the department said in a statement. 

The department said the Global Fund was at this stage currently engaged in studying the report submitted to it so that funding for the third quarter (July-September) can be released to the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that were dependent on this funding for their programmes. A commitment has also been made by the Global Fund to get back to the department in due course regarding the second disbursement of funding. This past week the department, together with the NGOs affected by the Global Fund support, had a workshop in Pretoria aimed at improving the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of all projects supported by the Fund in line with the cooperation agreement between the Fund and the department. 

The plan is that by mid-October there will be in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan based on the discussions and outcomes of last week's workshop. The department is also on track with its plans to recruit permanent personnel to staff the Programme Management Unit. In the meantime there was a complement of competent and experienced staff responsible for the running of the Programme Management Unit pending the appointment of fulltime staff. The minister and the department remain committed in the fight against HIV and AIDS as well as other communicable and non-communicable diseases and in their unwavering support for the work and activities of the South African National AIDS Council.

Equally, the department and Minister of Health remain committed in working closely with the Global Fund and NGOs to ensure that problems are dealt with in a constructive way, the department said.

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