The Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Friday announced that
it has suspended approximately $6.7 million in payments on grants to three
Ukrainian HIV/AIDS organizations because of concerns that they are poorly
managed and behind schedule in meeting their goals, the Washington
Post reports. The Global Fund has approved a total of $25 million
in two-year grants for Ukrainian programs. The three primary recipients
-- for which grants were suspended -- include a Ukraine health ministry
program to increase the number of people on antiretroviral therapy from
fewer than 60 people to about 4,000 people over two years; a public education
program on AIDS prevention organized by the Ukrainian Fund to Fight HIV
Infection and AIDS; and prevention programs for injection drug users, prostitutes,
soldiers and other high-risk groups run by several small organizations
under the management of the United
Nations Development Programme. So far, the Global Fund has disbursed
$7.5 million, but the programs have spent only about $740,000, according
to Global Fund spokesperson Jon Liden (Brown, Washington Post, 1/31).
Analysis Shows Problems
Over the past three weeks, the Global
Fund's secretariat has carried out a comprehensive analysis of the programs'
operations and determined that "Ukraine is significantly behind in its
objectives on containing AIDS and providing medical assistance for people
who live with the virus," according to a Global Fund statement (Interfax-Ukraine,
1/31). "We do not believe the programs can be successful if we stay with
the current structure," Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem
said, adding, "Yet we do not wish to stop Global Fund funds from flowing.
... The issue, therefore, is to secure operations in the short term to
ensure that in the medium term, we are able to get the program back on
track" (Global Fund release,
1/30). The Global Fund plans to ask a "reliable organization" to assume
control over the AIDS programs for "several months," the Ukranian News
reports (Ukrainian News, 1/31). In addition, the fund plans to bring
in outside experts to reorganize local management of the programs, according
to the Post (Washington Post, 1/31). The programs are expected
to be turned over to the Global Fund within the next few months while the
Ukrainian government works on improving the implementation process, management
and supervision. The Global Fund said that it would take "decisive measures"
to ensure that the programs' goals are achieved within two years, Interfax-Ukraine
reports (Interfax-Ukraine, 1/31). The Global Fund -- which finances
225 disease prevention and treatment programs in 121 countries -- has
never before stopped financing to one of its programs, the Post
reports (Washington Post, 1/31).
|