SA welcomes Global Fund's R3bn HIV grant

The approval of the largest Global Fund grant that the country has ever received, followed a proposal by the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) Global Fund Country Co-ordinating Mechanism. The body represents government departments, civil society, the people living with HIV, the private sector, provincial Aids councils and development partners.

The money will be split between the Health Department and other recipients, including civil society organisations. The department will receive 52% of the money.

Acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams on Thursday (10 October) said this was the largest single grant for HIV and TB from a multilateral donor in the history of the Aids response.

"On behalf of the people of South Africa, Cabinet thanks the Global Fund for its support to South Africa during a time when there is a desperate need for additional funding," Williams told media following Cabinet's regular fortnightly briefing.

Among other programmes, the funds will be used for the following:

• Procurement of antiretroviral medicines for 350 000 patients;
• Piloting the provision of antiretroviral medicines by courier to patients' homes or pick up points in the community;
• TB screening services for all inmates at all prisons in South Africa;

• TB and HIV screening for 100 000 mineworkers in small mines that do not have their own health services.

Cabinet has also applauded the continued achievements of the Partnership against HIV and AIDS, which celebrated its 15th anniversary on Wednesday (9 October).

South Africa is currently implementing the largest antiretroviral treatment programme in the world and has successfully rolled out its ARV treatment programme, to two million people who are now receiving treatment maing it the largest treatment programme in the world.

Williams said the country was on track to achieve the target of reducing and eliminating HIV transmission from mother to child by 2015. The transmission rate is now at 2.7% - down from 8% in 2008.