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August 5, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Disease-Fighting Fund Has Yet to Donate"
Wall Street Journal ( www.wsj.com ) (08/05/02) P. A4; Phillips,
Michael M.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria, which was
created by request of the United Nations and has raised $2.1
billion, has announced $1.6 billion in grants for projects in 40
nations. But the fund has not yet given away any money, in large
part because the Bush administration has demanded that the fund
create its own worldwide aid-delivery system instead of using
agencies like the World Bank and the UN. The nations that were
promised money are waiting for it, but the Bush administration
does not trust the agencies set up to deliver the aid, and wants
to try to stop what it considers wasteful foreign aid, saying it
will resist attempts to increase aid unless the aid can bring
fast and measurable improvements. The fund would have to create
its own procurement, administrative, and other services in each
nation for each grant, an idea that is meeting heavy resistance
from some recipients and donors, according to a senior U.S.
official. The fund approved 58 project applications in its first
round, including the promotion of health-related items in
Madagascar and a campaign in Nigeria to increase access to AIDS
drug cocktails. The fund's new executive director, Dr. Richard
Feachem, does not think that funds will reach recipients much
before the end of the year, if not later. The fund's
distribution process will probably involve a principal recipient
to implement the project, assess it, and report; a local fund
agent to audit the money's use; and a third independent agent to
verify the recipient's project assessment.
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