BUJUMBURA, February 23rd (ABP) – The Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, Mrs. Lydwine Baradahana, accompanied by the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations at the same time the Assistant Administrator of the UNDP and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Mrs. Ahunna Eziakonwa, proceeded on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, to the official launch of the start of the implementation of the 7th financing cycle grants of the Global Fund for Burundi (GC7), for a 2024-2026 period, with an amount of US dollars 160 million.
On that occasion, Dr. Baradahana indicated that this amount is distributed as follows : 124 million for the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and 36 million for the fight against Covid-19.
The management of that funding is entrusted to the United Nations Development Program in Burundi (UNDP), and ensured by a department of the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS which is the Management and Support unit for Health Development (UGADS), she added.
According to Mrs. Baradahana, this is a very substantial amount for the next three years and which will have an additional impact on the results already obtained for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
She noted that mortality linked to malaria continues to decline as does the incidence linked to it.
After the activities related to the said launch, the Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS received a donation of 11 vehicles from the UNDP, which will help the MSPLS to implement their activities, in particular, supervision at the level of health facilities and the community.
Dr. Baradahana specified that among this donation, 4 vehicles will be used for the fight against malaria, 6 vehicles for the national AIDS program, while one vehicle will be used for the implementation of community activities.