Africa-Press – Tanzania. GLOBAL Fund has commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership, pledging to issue a total of 906m US dollars (2.09tr/-) to be spent on the health sector, including the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
The money includes 794million US dollars (around 1.8tr/-) that will be issued between 2021 and 2023 to supplement the fight on HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, equitable future for all.
The remaining 112million US dollars which is equivalent to 258bn/-, will be channeled to support the country’s efforts on fighting Covid-19 by procuring Personal Preventive Equipment (PPEs), oxygen cylinders and improving related infrastructures.
This was said by the Global Fund Director General, Mr Peter Sands during a video conference with President Samia held on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Presidential Communications, Mr Jaffar Haniu, during their talks, the duo discussed a number of issues on areas of cooperation between Tanzania and the Fund.
“Mr Sands assured President Samia of a continued cooperation on ensuring all the targets are realised, especially on the health sector,” read part of the statement.
He went on to commend President Samia for taking over the position where he also applauded Tanzania for scooping the 5th position in a list of countries that have recorded clean certificates on spending of money being donated by the Fund.
According to him, the Fund will cooperate with Tanzania to provide public education on fighting Covid-19 pandemic. In another development, Mr Sands commended President Samia for putting in place a conducive environment and removing tax barriers, a move that enables smooth operation of Non – Governmental Organisations in serving the larger group of people at once.
For her part, President Samia thanked the Global Fund for supporting the country since 2002 in reducing deaths from HIV/Aids, especially on the use of antiretroviral drugs (popularly known as ARV), as well as undertaking a number of studies on improving the health sector.
She told the Global Fund boss that the eruption of Covid- 19 pandemic in Tanzania has affected the government’s initiatives in fighting HIV, TB and malaria, calling for a joint effort on facing the diseases.
President Samia also commended the Fund for marking its twenty years since it was established as well as proper supervision on providing an improved health service, assuring of a continued cooperation from Tanzania.
In 2018, the Global Fund and health practitioners in Tanzania signed a grant agreement worth 525million US dollars (equivalent to 1.2tr/-) to complement efforts towards ending epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria between 2018 and 2020.
The grant aimed at reducing the average malaria prevalence in Tanzania to less than one per cent by 2020, as well as reducing the TB incidence rate by 20 per cent and TB deaths by 35 per cent by 2020.
The investments also sought to increase coverage of HIV services to achieve the 90-90-90 fast-track treatment targets – 90 per cent of people living with HIV knowing their status.
Moreover, it aimed at supporting efforts to enrol nearly 400,000 additional people on antiretroviral treatment, support distribution of an additional 34 million mosquito nets and help enrol 100 per cent of TB patients with HIV on antiretroviral treatment, among other targets.
