Zambia OKs $42 Million AIDS Credit With World Bank

The World Bank and Zambia have agreed to a $42 million credit to fight HIV/AIDS, World Bank Zambia Country Manager Laurence Clarke said on Sunday. Part of the World Bank credit would be used to strengthen AIDS awareness campaigns in all government ministries and departments, and help launch grassroots campaigns, said Clarke. The credit includes $6 million for antiretrovirals. In its 2002 state budget presented to parliament in March, the government made available only $3 million for AIDS cocktails, but senior health ministry officials said weeks later that inadequate infrastructure and personnel made it impossible to import the medicines. Clark's comments came two weeks after President Levy Mwanawasa said he was separately seeking $19 million from the global fund for AIDS to fight the disease. Clarke expects Zambia to pass an AIDS law in late May or June that sets out the composition of a national AIDS council that would be responsible for AIDS cash from donors. The government is currently negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to reduce AIDS cocktail costs from $600-800 a month to $30-60 a month.

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