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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE country received over $100 million from development partners to fight HIV and Aids in the first six months of this year, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa has said. Minister Chinamasa said the support from development partners has also seen clinics and hospitals being capacitated in terms of medicines, personnel, equipment and infrastructure.

“I want to acknowledge the strong financial support from development partners mainly through Global Fund efforts to fight HIV and Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“The Global Fund had disbursed $102,6 million by the end of the six months to June 2016, towards the provision of anti-retroviral drugs, prevention of mother to child transmission, male circumcision and voluntary counselling and testing,” said Minister Chinamasa in his mid-term fiscal policy review statement last Thursday.

He said funds from the Global Fund have also gone towards the procurement of medicines for multi drug resistant TB and HIV/TB co-infection and the distribution of 6,2 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect families against malaria.

The 2016 National Budget, Minister Chinamasa said, targeted strengthening preventive primary health care, as well as the country’s public health referral system, with provision of adequate medicines and supplies, diagnostic equipment, among others.

“Within the context of appropriated budget resources of $330,8 million, overall budget disbursements during the first six months of the year 2016 amounted to $164 million, inclusive of remuneration of our 26 700 public health care personnel which accounted for $149 million,” said Minister Chinamasa.

He said budget support towards other non-wage health services was undermined by weak revenues.

“Consequently, against a Budget provision of $53,7 million, a disproportionate amount of $15 million was disbursed. A total of $5,9 million was disbursed towards hospital care services while $3,2 million went towards primary health care, focusing on maternal and child services and $1,3 million on public health programmes,” he said

He said the Health Development Fund (HDF), administered by UNICEF, disbursed $3,1 million towards improving maternal and adolescent health through strengthening health systems and nutrition interventions.

“Furthermore, I am pleased to advice of additional support through the HDF from the Swedish Government towards the health sector.

“In this regard, Government and UNICEF signed an agreement of $24 million with Sweden for the period 2016-2020. From the $24 million, $5,7 million will be disbursed during this year,” said Minister Chinamasa. — @pamelashumba1