Looming drug shortage as Global Fund withholds support

By Mutinda Mwanzia

Patients risk shortage of drugs against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis should Global Fund withhold its grant.

The Government says if the donor fails to release funds within six months thousands of patients would be affected.

Medical Services PS James ole Kiyiapi, however, said mechanisms had been put in place to ensure transparency and accountability was followed in the handling of money from the fund.

“We have embraced proper management of the Global Fund resources and dismantled all systems that created bureaucracy in the usage of the funds,” said Prof Kiyiapi.

Kenya lost a Sh24 billion grant from the Global Fund following alleged misuse of up to Sh13 billion from the kitty.

But on Tuesday, Kiyiapi said as part of the requirements by the Global Fund before any money was released, the Government had disbanded the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism.

The agency was the one tasked with handling the Global Fund.

Easy to monitor

“We have instead set up programme based units that will specifically handle funds meant for a particular disease and which can be easily monitored,” said Kiyiapi.

He added officials from the global fund would arrive next month for talks with Ministry of Health officials over the funds.

“I hope they will agree to resume funding and if that does not happen then drug shortage is inevitable,” said Kiyiapi.

He said the Treasury did not have the capacity to set aside such huge amounts to subsidise drugs for the three diseases.

Kiyiapi said proper use of the funds was a must adding that his ministry had held workshops with stakeholders in a bid to discuss the kitty.

He said oversight committee had been established in to ensure the proper use of grants.

Kiyiapi was speaking to reporters at Afya House, after he received CD 4 equipment worth Sh33 million from the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef).

The equipment, which was donated to the ministry’s HIV and Aids programme, will be used to monitor treatment of HIV and Aids patients.

Unicef Country Representative Olivia Yambi said the equipment would be distributed to hospitals in Mwingi, Isiolo, Samburu and Kajiado.

Kiyiapi said the Government would ensure access of anti-retroviral drugs to those affected.

He said HIV and Aids infection had declined from 14 per cent to 7.4 per cent in the past three years.

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