Zimbabwe to Attain Universal Coverage of AIDS Treatment by the End of the Year
Global Fund investments secure treatment for an additional 10,000 people
02 October 2012 - Geneva - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today announced
a disbursement of US$84 million to help Zimbabwe to achieve its plans for universal access to AIDS treatment by the end of 2012.
The new disbursement will cover the cost of life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for an additional 10,000 new
patients, bringing the total number of people on treatment with Global Fund support to 203,440 by the end of the year.
Part of the new funding will also pay for the creation of a buffer stock of 6 months of ARVs for all 480,000 adults
on treatment in Zimbabwe. The buffer stock will provide additional security of supplies of medicines to patients.
The Global Fund has agreed to raise treatment coverage together with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for Aids
Relief (PEPFAR), which is also funding an increase in the number of adults and children on treatment it supports in Zimbabwe,
from 80,000 to 140,000 this year and to 160,000 next year.
These efforts are being closely coordinated with the Government of Zimbabwe, which is supporting 124,000 patients
on ARV through its innovative AIDS levy initiative, and with the United Kingdom's Department for International Development
(DFID), which is funding treatment for 35,900 patients.
These combined efforts will make possible the attainment of universal coverage, which is generally defined as at
least 80% of people in need of treatment. Zimbabwe is expected to surpass that target for the adult population, reaching 85%
of people in need by the end of the year.
The disbursement, made today, was part of a grant that began in 2010, and was renewed in June 2012. It is targeted
at prevention and treatment for young people, people living with HIV, women and children.
The Global Fund will continue to work very closely with the government of Zimbabwe and with other partners,
including PEPFAR, to ensure that the anticipated gains are sustained.
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For more information please contact:
MARCELA ROJO
Media Relations
Mobile: +41 79 540 2667
E-mail: marcela.rojo@theglobalfund.org
THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
The Global Fund is a unique, public-private partnership and international financing institution
dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector
and affected communities represents an innovative approach to international health financing.
The Global Fund's model is based on the concepts of country ownership and performancebased
funding, which means that people in countries implement their own programs based on
their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing on the condition that verifiable results
are achieved.
Source: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
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