Aids funds to go elsewhere?
2005-10-28 09:27
Special Report
The South African government has announced a joint venture to reduce the cost of anti-retroviral drugs with a Swiss company.
Cape Town -Some R67.2m not spent on HIV/Aids projects may be given to international organisations, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said at Parliament on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel reported in the Adjusted Estimates of National Expenditure that the national department of health had to roll over R67.2m it had not spent on budgeted HIV/Aids projects in the 2004/05 financial year.
"As a minister of health I wouldn't be proud of that statement," she said at a pre-Aids Day briefing.
But she said the money wasn't lost and may be given to international organisations.
"It's not money like it's wasted, it's lost. It is money that is going to be utilised, maybe not just for ourselves. Because we are also part of the global fund we make contributions; we are also part of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) fund on HIV/Aids - we also make contributions there, so we have enough scope to unitise those resources," she said.
Aids awareness message getting through
Tshabalala-Msimang, however, partly blamed provincial governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for not effectively monitoring the spending of the conditional grant from central government.
"We have to nudge them all the time - please give reports as to how we are using this money," she said.
But she said the health department with the National Treasury was currently trying to put monitoring mechanisms in place to keep better track of budgetary spending.
Once the review of the health department's strategic plan on HIV/Aids was completed all budgeted money would be utilised.
Tshabalala-Msimang, however, voiced optimism that the government's Aids awareness message was getting through.
'Let us get together'
"Judging by the number of condoms that we have already distributed and the feedback we get in terms of the quality of the condoms, I think the message is beginning, but slowly, to filter down," she said.
South Africa will on December 1 join the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day, she said.
The major local event will be held at Kings Park in Durban where an estimated 10 000 people will attend.
'Let us get together wherever we live, work, learn, study, pray or play and reflect on the impact of HIV and Aids on our families and communities, our nation and our continent," she urged.
- SAPA