Dependence on donor funding 'hinders' Kenyan AIDS fight

Kenya's dependence on funding from donors to provide backing for its fight against HIV/AIDS is hindering its effectiveness, a leading campaign group in the African country has claimed.

According to the Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium, 98 per cent of the money needed to run HIV/AIDS programmes in the country is provided by external donors, AllAfrica.com reported.

Action is needed by the Kenyan government to make a more telling contribution to the country's efforts to both treat and prevent the spread of the virus, the group argued, as well as making any commitments clear.

Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium executive director, Allan Ragi, told the website: "The fact that Kenya largely depends on donor funding to fight HIV/Aids raises questions of sustainability and highlights the need for the government to increase its contribution to the national response."

"We need a framework to hold governments accountable. So, we need to be informed of their commitment," he added

Under an agreement made at the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other Related Infectious Diseases, held in the Nigerian city of Abuja in 2001, Kenya's government committed to contributing 15 per cent of the money needed for the country's anti-HIV/AIDS programmes.

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