Abstract #125  -  Expanding Long Term Sustainable Financing for HIV in African Countries: First country Results
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Mr Erik Lamontagne - UNAIDS
Additional Authors:  Dr Robert Greener, Dr Erik Lamontagne, Dr Thomas Lievens,
Aim: The current economic downturn highlighted how HIV programmes might be at stake: the slowdown can be translated through global commitments variations and through national resource availability. In addition, the crisis is increasing the vulnerability of poor households and individuals to food insecurity and impoverishment, further exacerbating the economic impacts of the epidemic.
Method / Issue: National responses to HIV are hit differently, depending of their share in the national budget, their dependency to external aid and the development of other financing mechanisms supporting, directly or indirectly, HIV activities. UNAIDS has initiated a process with national Governments and other partners to identify good practices and innovative opportunities for the long term financing of national responses to HIV in low and middle income countries.
Results / Comments: Universal Access raises challenges in budgetary management and delivery capacity that require increased and further diversified financing. UNAIDS is investigating available opportunities for financing in low- and middle-income countries in relation to planned expenditures and estimated resource needs over 10-15 years. First results for a set middle income in Southern African countries (Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho) will be presented and UNAIDS will seek to establish a network to exchange information and ideas on implementation of new financing mechanisms specific to different national contexts as similar study will be launched in further four to six countries in Africa in 2009.
Discussion: Our study shows that current financing should be used to increase efficiency of activities and to develop new financing mechanisms at country and regional levels. Their respective maturation period should be taken into account in order to avoid critical shortage in reaching universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
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