France helping Sri Lanka fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Tuesday, 2 September 2014 02:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created in 2002 to effectively increase resources for the fight against the three pandemics. The fund does not implement programs; instead, it is an international financial instrument which relies on local experts in responding to the disease-load so that funding answers the needs of all those most affected by them. Being the only funding instrument of its kind, it is present in over 140 countries (including Sri Lanka). As of end-2013, 17.3 million people had access to treatment and 360 million insecticide-treated nets have been distributed thanks to the fund.

To date, Sri Lanka has received $ 57 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Considering the country’s income as well as the relative presence of the pandemics in the country, the fund has established a new funding model for the period 2014-2016 by which Sri Lanka will be receiving $ 16 million for HIV/AIDS, $ 12.2 million for tuberculosis and 17.3 for malaria. Of this $ 45.5 million, France contributes to over 12%, amounting to over $ 5.5 million in total just for Sri Lanka. France is the second donor worldwide with a contribution that amounts to more than the whole of the European Union’s contribution put together! For the 2014-2016 triennium, France’s contribution amounts to 1.08 billion euros, which means a 30% increase compared to the previous participation (9.2 billion euros for the 2011-2013 period). Beyond the traditional support given to beneficiary countries in fighting the three pandemics, in Sri Lanka, the Global Fund has channelled exceptional ‘Health Sector Strengthening’ funding for the construction/reconstruction of health facilities and capacity building of national health sector staff. The principal partners of the Global Fund in Sri Lanka are firstly the Ministry of Health and Nutrition, then the Family Planning Association and also Lanka Jatika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya. In Sri Lanka, the fund’s support goes to outreach and sensitisation, purchasing of health equipment and health products, infrastructure for the health sector, capacity building as well as training of health staff and distribution of: insecticide-treated mosquito nets, medicine and antiretroviral therapy and rapid diagnostic tests (TB).

Thanks to the Global Fund actions in Sri Lanka, 420 people are currently receiving anti-retroviral therapy, 11,900 new smear-positive tuberculosis cases were detected and treated and 1,500,000 insecticide treated mosquito nets were distributed.