‘National Aids Council needs $100m annually’

THE National Aids Council (NAC) requires at least $100 million annually to enable it effectively carry out its mandate.

NAC is raising $35 million yearly, a third of its requirement. Donor funding fills the gap. NAC operations director Mr Raymond Yekeye revealed this during a family planning symposium held in Harare recently to celebrate the World Population Day.

“The AIDS levy or the National AIDS Trust Fund is currently grossing something around $35 million annually and this has been the figure for the past two to three years. We expect the figure to remain more or less the same this year,” said Mr Yekeye.

He said NAC required $100 million to maintain the current treatment programme and the larger part of the money comes from donors like the Global Fund.

Mr Yekeye said health programmes in the country were heavily dependent on external funding.

He said they were negotiating how they can work closely with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) in the provision of contraceptives.

“Let me point out also that 75 percent to about 80 percent of HIV response in this country is funded by partners. Almost in the same manner that our family planning programme is also funded by external partners.

“We do note though, that it is critical that part of the National AIDS Trust Fund should be allocated to procurement of contraceptives and we have, with the guidance of our Ministry of Health and Child Care, made certain provisions to support some of the components of the family planning programmes,” said Mr Yekeye.

“Let me say that the National AIDS Trust Fund has not been utilised to procure family planning commodities like the contraceptives, especially the oral contraceptives. However, we have been working very closely with ZNFPC in terms of delivering sexual reproductive health and HIV programmes together.”