Africa

Cameroon to receive US$ 75m to fight Aids

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-06-21 01:26

Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will provide 75 million US dollars to Cameroon to further support efforts undertaken by the country to curb the three diseases, official sources said Wednesday.

The granting of this assistance was announced Tuesday by the Fund's executive director Michel Kazatchkine, during a meeting with Cameroonian Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni.

Kazatchkine applauded remarkable efforts deployed by Cameroon in fighting the three diseases. "Five years ago when I was in Cameroon, I never expected the country to have 40,000 people under antiretroviral treatment," he said.

Regarding malaria, Kazatchkine said he was satisfied to note in some parts of Cameroon, more than 90 percent of children aged from 0 to 5 years, as well as pregnant women, have already been supplied with treated mosquito nets.

Since 2003, Cameroon and Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have already signed six assistance agreements worth 145 million U.S. dollars.

The last agreement of 68 million U.S. dollars was signed in March 2007, which enabled Cameroonian authorities to offer free antiretroviral based treatment, and reduce the cost of treating malaria by using Coartem drug.