UGANDA has missed out on the sixth round of the Global Funds money for fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria. It has, however, been given $10.7m for fighting tuberclosis (TB), according to the final list of approved proposals on the global fund website.
The Global Fund communications officer, Nicolas Demey, said in an email, “As you will see, Uganda’s TB proposal has been approved with a two-year amount of $10.7m and a five-year (so far disbursed) amount of over $26m.”
While other countries on the list got funds for the three diseases, others got for only two, while Uganda, like Kenya, were given for only TB.
Tanzania Rwanda were given money for TB and HIV/AIDS, while Burundi got none. The Global Fund board on Friday approved the sixth round of 85 new grants totaling $847m. The new commitment expands the Fund’s portfolio to $6.6b through over 460 grants in 136 countries.
Reports over the weekend showed that Uganda was bound to lose its share due to its reluctance to take action on the mismanagement of the previous allocations by a November 15 deadline.
Health minister Dr. Stephen Malinga on Saturday said he was travelling to the Fund’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in an apparent attempt to salvage Uganda’s share.
He, however, could not reveal details. “Yes, I am flying out to Geneva, but I cannot (reveal details), it (the mission) is secret,” he said.
“He is traveling to Geneva to discuss issues with the Global Fund he has been following up with a view to resolving a few outstanding issues. I would advise you to be a little bit patient,” State health minister Dr. Richard Nduhura said. He also flew out of the country yesterday.
He said when the Global Fund was suspended last year and later reinstated, its management was transferred to the ministry of Finance and Ernst and Young audit firm.
“What we were supposed to do was draw up a long-term arrangement for the management of the Fund. The Ministry of finance had handled the matter, but when I read that we would lose the sixth round of funding because we had not indicated our long-term arrangement, I did not understand,” Nduhuura said.
The Government instituted a probe into the mismanagement of the Global Fund. The probe headed by Justice James Ogoola catalogued gross mismanagement by the project implementation team headed by Dr. Tiberius Muheebwa.
Three finance ministers Maj. Gen Jim Muhwezi, Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha were implicated and later dropped as ministers.
