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HIFC
Update
Humanitarian
Information Facilitation Centre (HIFC)
September 30, 2010
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Dwindling
global HIV funding entails crisis in Africa
Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF) in August conducted a knowledge brief with the
media on the far -reaching consequences of perceived donor fatigue
in funding HIV programmes. The brief, organized by the Humanitarian
Information Facilitation Centre (HIFC) investigated early signs
of donor retreat and discussed the other factors related to this.
The main issues
discussed included the fact that HIV is the leading cause of death
in Africa. The perceived worrisome donor fatigue is set to worsen
the situation for an already vulnerable population.
A number of
donors have been cited as evidently flat lining funding and backtracking
on commitments to scale up support as HIV care deteriorates. Among
them are PEPFAR (for no increase in ARV treatment 2010 onwards),
The World Bank, UNITAID (for actual shortage of PMTCT and 2nd line
ARVs drugs as there is no hand-over plan) and Global Fund (for Round
10 uncertainty) have been cited as evidently flat lining Because
of the uncertainty of donor funding, new patients cannot be enrolled
for treatment, a thing that threatens to undermine all the positive
effects felt so far and widen the treatment gap in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Donor fatigue
also entails a delay in the implementation of the latest WHO guidelines
calling for a move away from substandard care and giving patients
benefits of earlier treatment. It also means pressure remains on
smaller AIDS Service Organizations
(ASOs) to the point that resources end up stretched too thinly,
which will affect real progress.
Speaking at
the brief, MSF Head of Mission, Fasil Tezera encouraged media to
partake in the campaign to raise awareness of the public and sensitize
of the challenges this donor retreat is likely to present, especially
to those already on treatment.
He highlighted
the need for concerted effort in advocacy in the hope that a number
of donors might increase commitment to seeing this fight through.
The media play a critical advocacy role in ensuring that lobbying
and public pressure necessary to reverse these challenges are realized
in the face of a potentially desperate situation.
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