: Over the past several funding rounds, grants for the AIDS control programme have levelled off — a disturbing development that echoes a broader trend in the overall reduction of global AIDS funding.
Patients benefiting from the funds will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday demanding the urgent intervention of the government.
“Without a substantial scale up in funding through 2020, the world is at risk of losing progress that has been made in the war against AIDS, as well as tuberculosis and malaria. Among the leading economic powers of the world, China, Germany and Japan must do more to help sustain the Global Fund,” said leader of the campaign Dr. Sita Ratna Devi, executive director of INDIA CARES.
Vital programme
The Indian national AIDS Control programme depends on the Global Fund for AIDS, TB & Malaria research and for the free Anti-retroviral therapy program, which caters to 13.45 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS. “This reflects how critical the continuation of the funding is even for a middle income country like India,” said Dr. Ratna.
“If donors waver in their commitments during the fifth replenishment round, the long-term viability of the Global Fund will be in jeopardy. In turn, the loss of confidence in the Fund could lead to a complete unravelling of the global, coordinated response to the three epidemics,” a release said.
