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Aids.
This follows reports that only 100 000 HIV and Aids patients out of 400 000 access anti-retroviral drugs from the government programme.
National Aids Council programmes director Mr Raymond Yekeye yesterday said about 75 percent or 300 000 of HIV and Aids patients under treatment in Zimbabwe were not getting the life prolonging drugs from the Government.
They are getting them through other means such as donors and partners. Mr Yekeye, who was speaking during the Zimbabwe Aids Network bi-annual conference, said the Aids levy being collected by the Government could only support 100 000 patients.
“There is urgent need to increase funding from Government, so that more HIV and Aids patients get support from the State not from donors,” he said.
“There is a big problem in terms of funding.'”
Mr Yekeye said there would be a big disaster if donor organisations and other partners supporting the provision of HIV and Aids drugs pull out.
“The Government should take more responsibility in terms of providing funding to access drugs for HIV and Aids patients,” he said.
“The current situation where donors and other partners are bearing the biggest burden is not healthy.”
Mr Yekeye urged Government to effect policy changes that reflect the threat posed by HIV and Aids to the country.
He said there was need for Government to seriously consider increasing the health budget to at least 15 percent of the country’s national budget.
Mr Yekeye said some donors and partners that used to support Zimbabwe in the health delivery system were battling against their own problems at home.
This resulted in limited support to fighting the HIV and Aids scourge in poor nations. A case in point, said Mr Yekeye, was the Global Fund which is on the verge of running out of funds to assist poor nations.
Reports indicate that the fund is left with only US$600 million for disbursement to fight against the HIV and Aids scourge.
Zimbabwe Aids Network director Ms Lindiwe Jangira said there was need for organisations that received aid to help fight diseases and find more ways of getting resources.
Online Reporter