“The Fund has asked us to repay $6.4 million for buying vehicles which were not budgeted for… they have also pulled the plug on $574 million funding for the next two years because of allegations of financial mismanagement and political abuse,” said Malawi health minister Jean Kalilani on Wednesday.
According to eNCA, Malawi has one of the highest AIDS mortality rates in Africa as the disease has killed an entire generation of adults and left over a million children orphaned.
The Global Fund played a crucial role in combating this challenge.
Kalilani said the Global Fund will direct its funding towards other organisations rather than NAC.
NAC, responsible for spearheading the national campaign against HIV/AIDS, has come under much scrutiny in Malawi.
Earlier this year, rights activists staged a countrywide protest and petitioned the Global Fund to stop funding NAC after it had given $33 000 to organisations which were said to have been closely linked to President Peter Mutharika and his wife.
Leading rights activist, Gift Trapence, said that is where it all began.
“Clearly NAC was diverting funds meant for putting people on antiretroviral drugs and giving it out to political organisations who havenothing to do with core-anti Aids activities”, said Trapence.
In 2013, Malawi went into deep suffering after donors withheld funding over corruption.
Around 40% of Malawi’s national budget relies on foreign aid.
IMAGE FROM FACEBOOK.
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