Ukraine Wants to Restart Suspended AIDS Program

On Friday, Ukraine's Health Minister said a World Bank-funded $60 million program to fight HIV and TB in the nation, which the bank recently suspended citing misuse of funds, could be resumed within a month. "Unfortunately these funds have not been used for the most urgent needs," said Yuri Polyachenko. "They went to buy office furniture, cars and computers," he said. In three years, just 2 percent of the bank's loan had been spent, bank officials said. "At the latest meeting with the World Bank leadership, we agreed that we will review the purchases portfolio. If there is an agreement we will resume the project," Polyachenko said. Ukraine has one of the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS rates in the European Union, with more than 1 percent of its 47 million population infected. TB is also a major problem, especially in its prisons.

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