Global Fund to Donate $107 Million Dollars to Help Fights AIDS

President Leonel Fernández met on Thursday with Helen Evans, deputy director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, who announced that the organization would donate $107 million dollars to help fight HIV/AIDS and malaria in the Dominican Republic.

This Global Fund commitment to the Dominican Republic represents a total of $174 million dollars over the next five years,

Ms. Evans told President Fernández in their meeting at the National Palace, that following the successful implementation of the Global Fund´s project with the Dominican Presidential Council on HIV-AIDS (COPRESIDA), the Dominican Republic was eligible for six years of financing in the form of $98 million additional dollars in its struggle against HIV/AIDS.

Evans said the organization will earmark another $8 million for the eradication of malaria.
“This Global Fund commitment to the Dominican Republic represents a total of $174 million dollars over the next five years,” said Ms. Evans.

She explained that these are very significant investments which, when added to the World Fund´s commitment to Haiti, makes the two countries together the largest recipients of subsidies of any country in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The Global Fund provides funds through quality use of resources and project performance.  These subsidies are disbursed because of the impact they´ve had on the fight against other epidemics,” Evans said during a press conference in the Orlando Martínez Hall of the National Palace following her meeting with President Fernández.

She pointed out that this new responsibility places the Dominican Republic in a leadership position in the region; what the DR does in the face of these epidemics as well as setting an example of efficiency will have an impact.  

“We are very impressed with the integrated way in which the country has dealt with the subsidies and the way Dominican society as well as the government is struggling against HIV-AIDS,” said Ms. Evans.

She noted that President Fernández expressed how crucial the struggle against epidemics is in that they are rampant and have no barriers.
Ms. Evans indicated that one of the goals of the new Project has to do with making antiviral treatments available to those in need by the year 2015.

Gustavo Rojas, Director of the Dominican Presidential Council on HIV-AIDS (COPRESIDA), said the $107 million dollars donated by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria over the next six years, represents some $3.700 billion pesos.

“Forty eight million dollars are earmarked by the Fund for COPRESIDA and $14 million for anti-tuberculosis programs which would have ended the Global Fund´s commitment in May 2009,” Rojas said.

He pointed out, however, that this new subsidy from the Global Fund, guarantees support for the ongoing struggle against HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis currently underway in the Dominican Republic.

He added that this Global Fund donation constitutes an acknowledgement of the work that has been done by the Dominican government and civil society to fight these epidemics.

Those present at the conference included Bautista Rojas Gómez, Public Health Minister; Lelio Mármora of the World Fund for Latin America and Matías Gómez, manager for the Dominican Republic.

The Global Fund is a public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Presidential Office of Information, Press and Publicity