Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala Msimang's spokesperson

Department of Health officials yesterday denied that government had decided not to accept money from the multi-billion rand Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, initiated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. This is despite comments made by Finance Minister Trevor Manual in New York this week that South Africa did not need money, but rather required the capacity to address HIV/AIDS and other health problems. Manual was responding to comments made by Harvard University's Jeffrey Sachs that government needed money to buy anti-retroviral treatment for people with HIV/AIDS. Sibani Mngadi, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala Msimang's spokesperson, pointed out that the minister had been part of the Transitional Working Group that facilitated the establishment of the Global Fund. The Minister had worked hard to ensure that the Fund remained focused on the three diseases and has emphasized that the Fund should also be used for improving health systems and capacity in the most affected countries, he added. However, while Mngadi stressed the minister's involvement in the Fund he would not be drawn on whether South Africa would apply for funds, and implied no decision had been taken on this yet. Other health department sources expressed shock and said they were convinced Manual had been misquoted. However, there is considerable tension between the health and finance ministries and it is possible Manual expressed his own personal view which he had not canvassed with the health minister. Meanwhile, the Treatment Action Campaign's Nathan Geffen said that if government claimed the public service lacked the capacity to address HIV/AIDS then this reflected very poorly on the highest echelons of government. Ministries of health in potential recipient countries have already been sent an announcement from the fund calling for funding proposals. The first deadline will be March 10. Proposals received by then will be discussed at the board's next meeting on March 23-24. All proposals will be evaluated by an independent, expert Technical Review Panel which will advise the board. Countries intending to apply for money are supposed to set up country co-ordination mechanisms (CCM) representing all stakeholders to formulate proposals. (Source: Health-E, 6 February 2002)