AFRO-NETS> Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Mon, 20 Aug 2001

[Cecilia Snyder <csnyder@ccmc.org>]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Mon, 20 Aug 2001
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Global Challenges

Slow Distribution of Zimbabwe's AIDS Tax Funds Frustrates Many

More than a year after Zimbabwe took the "bold step" of imposing a 3%
levy on personal and corporate income to collect money for a national
AIDS trust, only about $4 million has been distributed and $25 mil-
lion is waiting to be spent, leaving "frustrated many people who wel-
comed the trust's creation," the New York Times reports. The trust,
created to help care for the country's thousands of HIV-positive
citizens, is needed "[m]ore than ever," as the country is experienc-
ing "deepening economic and political turmoil," including increased
unemployment and hunger. UNAIDS estimates that 25% of Zimbabwe's
citizens are HIV-positive, but a new study conducted by the Ministry
of Health and the CDC that has yet to be released estimates that
closer to 35% of the adult population could be infected. If these
figures, which are being reviewed by the ministry for accuracy, are
correct, it would "increase the pressure on Zimbabwe" to distribute
the AIDS trust money, the Times says.

Frustration Mounts

In March, the government dissolved the National AIDS Council, a gov-
ernment agency that coordinates AIDS policy and dictated the distri-
bution of the AIDS funds, after deciding that the agency "did not
have the legal authority to manage the trust." Some accused the gov-
ernment of "playing politics," saying that the agency's board was
disbanded because the chair was a member of the opposition Movement
for Democratic Change. Some say that the money will be used as a
"tool in the pre-election patronage machine of the ruling [ZANU-PF]
party," which faces a "serious challenge" from the opposition in next
year's national elections. Others say that the money might be fun-
neled into other government interests, such as paying for fuel im-
ports or funding the military's involvement in the Congo. Although
Deputy Health Minister Dr. P. David Parirenyatwa denied such allega-
tions in a Times interview, the "frustration at the pace of distribu-
tion has fed suspicion among ordinary people," the paper reports.
Last month, hundreds of people gathered to protest the government's
handling of the trust fund. "If every person sees it on their pay
slips, they feel they're contributing to this national cause, but if
nothing is happening and they don't see any movement, people become
cynical," Robert Hecht, an associate director of UNAIDS, said.

A 'Crucial Challenge' Parirenyatwa "promised" that the money would
soon be disbursed, but added that the government was being cautious
to ensure that the money reaches the right people. "It's a no-win
situation ... When we started disbursing, we did it very quickly, but
then people started complaining that you are giving to people who are
not deserving, so now we are very careful," he said. However, Dr. Su-
nanda Ray, the director of the Harare-based Southern Africa AIDS In-
formation Dissemination Service, said that the problems of distribu-
tion "should have been corrected by now." She added that it "seems
outrageous that the bureaucrats are not able to respond." As more
AIDS money is funneled into African countries, governments are faced
with the "crucial challenge" of distributing the money "quickly and
fairly," Hecht said. Although Zimbabwe is the only country with an
AIDS tax, other countries have found ways to push more money toward
AIDS. For example, Cameroon is using debt relief savings to add to
its AIDS budget, and Botswana has allocated more of its existing
budget toward fighting AIDS (Cauvin, New York Times, 8/19).

African Anglican Church Calls for Debt Relief, International Efforts
to Fight AIDS

The Anglican Church in Africa on Friday called for "intensified re-
gional and international efforts" to fight AIDS, including African
debt cancellation from western nations, the Xinhua News Agency re-
ports. Addressing foreign diplomats at the end of a four-day All Af-
rica Anglican Conference, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane
said, "We appreciate the commitment of countries in the north which
pledged themselves to 100% debt relief. We just hope we can count on
them to implement their decision without delay." He appealed to the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to also cancel African
debts and provide grants to the nations rather than loans. African
leaders at the 37th summit of the Organization of African Unity in
Zambia last month approved a New Africa Initiative to promote stabil-
ity and economic development in Africa, but Ndungane said, "We are
told that in 10 years about one third of our people will be dead be-
cause of this disease. ... If the people die, what new Africa are we
talking about?" The Anglican Church will work to encourage youth to
alter their lifestyles and "take precautious measures against the
disease," he said (Xinhua News Agency, 8/17).

The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org,
a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National
Journal Group Inc. c 2001 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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