Africa forms group to lobby for more Aids cash

Aids activists protest on the sidelines of a joint conference sponsored by the US Embassy and Vision 2030 Secretariat on health in Nairobi in April last year. Civil society groups in Africa are pushing for more Aids funds. AFP 

By EVELYN SITUMA

African countries have formed a lobby group ahead of a crucial meeting in September to push the US government and Global Fund not to cut funding for HIV/Aids programmes.

Activists from civil society organisations from 40 Africa countries with the help of a US based foundation — Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) — met in Nairobi this week to adopt a common approach to make sure funding for HIV/Aids programmes is increased.

The recommendations will be presented at the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) meeting in September during which philanthropists are expected to commit money for fighting HIV/Aids.

Some African countries have in the past two years grappled with reduced funding for HIV/Aids projects after donors like the Global Fund declined to allocate more funds. Contributing countries have blamed economic crisis experienced in America and Europe for the move to cut support.

However, activists say the PEPFAR funding was a pledge by the US that should be honoured.

“The economic situation in the world is being used as an excuse to cut on spending on HIV. The amount needed is such a small percentage of what is spent overall on defence,” said Omonigho Ufamata the director for global policy and advocacy at AHF.

“Our demand has always been for the US government to keep that promise and commitment to fight this disease. For us any cut in funding is not about dollars but loss of lives.”

Last year, Kenya suffered a setback after the US proposed to cut PEPFAR funding for HIV/Aids funding by half. The proposed reduction was Sh2.2 billion this year from Sh4.1 billion in 2011. To the surprise of advocacy groups, development budget was increased by Sh1.4 billion ($17 million).

The cutting of Aids cash to Kenya by the Global Fund last year triggered street protests by activists including the Kenya Aids NGO Consortium. Previously the country had been allocated $350 million by the Global Fund.

Activists are now pegging their call for increased and continued funding on better management of the grant.

One of the ways they have singled out is focus on treatment-prevention, which they say is effective and had seen reduction in new infections. Publicity and awareness campaigns is another avenue they would be keen to exploit.

But for now, they are advocating more funds and training their eyes on the US decision. This, they said, is what will determine the direction Global Fund primary donors — Great Britain and German, among others — would take during the talks on the HIV/Aids funds for 2012/2014 cycle.

Local NGOs are also looking at the government hoping that the HIV funding Bill would come through and perhaps shoulder part of the burden. Currently, Kenya’s HIV programmes are 75 per cent externally funded.

The lobby groups plan to present their request to members of the US Congress to help push their case.

Demands by the civil society groups to the US government include increased funding for treatment and lower cost of treatment per person, which would in turn lead to cost reduction and benefit many HIV/Aids patients.