Zimbabwe hit by disease funding rejection

Zimbabwe has had a $60 million (£30 million) funding application turned down by the UN Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria.

The money would have been targeted at combating TB and malaria in the southern African country, VOA reports.

When asked to provide reasons for the funding rejection, Global Fund communications officer Nicolas Demey told the website that the proposals were rejected due to technical weaknesses.

Reacting to the news, Zimbabwean minister of health and child welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa told AllAfrica.com: "We are so disappointed that Zimbabwe has been denied funding from the Global Fund once again in spite of the fact that resources that come our way are always effectively used.

"We are going to inquire why this has happened again and we will definitely go for round eight [of the funding]," he added.

Zimbabwe recently reported a drop in its rate of HIV infection, with government figures revealing the overall prevalence of the disease in pregnant women had fallen from 25.7 per cent in 2002 to 17.7 per cent in 2006.

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