‘Shake off donor syndrome’

By The NewsDay | Jun. 2, 2022 | 2 Min read

In a letter inviting different countries, including Zimbabwe, to make their pledges to the Global Fund 7th Replenishment, GFAN also urged governments to be committed to health financing to avert a global crisis.

BY VANESSA GONYE THE Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) has urged African governments to increase health financing and avoid too much reliance on donor funding.

Previously, Global Fund contributions were channelled towards financing HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria programmes only.

Zimbabwe has contributed a total of US$3,11 million. Its last pledge, in 2019, was US$1 million, which earned it more than US$500 million for its HIV, TB and malaria programmes. The last replenishment was in 2019.

In a letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa seen by NewsDay, GFAN Zimbabwe focal person, Itai Rusike urged government to increase its contribution to the local health delivery system.

“Your contributions and commitment as implementers of Global Fund supported programmes; Africa has ensured that HIV, TB and malaria responses are delivered through investments in resilient and sustainable systems for health. The effectiveness of the Global Fund, made possible by donors and contributors like you, proved its worth in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic — the worst health crisis faced by the modern world,” read the letter to Mnangagwa.

“Over the past 20 years of its existence, the Global Fund partnership impacted the world by saving 44 million lives. Your pledges for the Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund to fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) in 2019, contributed to making history for the largest amount of US$14 billion ever raised by any multilateral health financing facility to date,” the letter added.

National Aids Council (Nac) chief executive officer Bernard Madzima said: “Zimbabwe has always met its commitment to what it pledges. We as Nac are grateful to the President of Zimbabwe His Excellency Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa for availing US$1 million through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development last year. Zimbabwe met its obligations, and this shows serious commitment by the government to end HIV/AIDS by 2030.”