OF NOTE THIS WEEK

The Global Fund has suspended aid to Zambia in response to corruption allegations in connection with several grants to the Ministry of Health. In response to the allegations, the Zambian Anti Corruption Commission had launched an investigation into the claims, however Global Fund Director of Communications, Jon Liden, states “there has been slowness in action on the Zambian side”, the BBC reports. In a progress report, made public on the Global Fund website on Wednesday, the Office of the Inspector General at the Fund said they were “unable to provide assurance as to the safety of investing further funds through the Ministry of Health while the issues surrounding the investigations by national authorities remain unresolved”. Liden continued to say that support for life-saving treatment would be sustained, however not through the Ministry of Health. Arrangements are underway to channel funds to the UNDP.

In other news, on Monday June 21, 2010, the HIV/AIDS Monitor will host an event on the topic of HIV/AIDS funding and country ownership entitled, What is Country Ownership Anyway? Rethinking Global Health Partnerships. The event will feature opening remarks by Ethiopian Minister of Health and Global Fund Chair, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and a panel discussion with high-level U.S. government representatives and global health experts from Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia. For more information on the event and to RSVP, please visit our event page here.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• The Office of the Inspector General Progress Report for October 2009-February 2010 is now available on the Global Fund's website
• The World Bank announces its second debate, Behavior Change for HIV Prevention, part of a larger debate series focusing on emerging issues in the HIV response
• The WHO's new report on ART for infants and children recommends immediate treatment to all under-2s with HIV

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Global HIV/AIDS Policy in Transition (Science) *Subscription required
• Hidden Drug Resistant HIV to Emerge in the Era of Universal Treatment Access in Southeast Asia (PLoS One)
• Tanzania: With a Leaner Budget, Will HIV-Positive Survive? (All Africa)
• Protest at HIV funds cuts (Times Live)
• Global Fund freezes Zambia aid over corruption concern (BBC)
• Ethiopia To Get $387m In Healthcare Aid from US (Daily Ethiopia)

RECENT CGD HEALTH POLICY BLOGS

• A New Report Slams the WOrld Bank's Support of Health Systems for Insufficient Focus on Results By Mead Over
• Congress Faces Resistance of a Different Sort By Rachel Nugent
• Can Couples Testing Contribute to Achieving the AIDS Transition? By Mead Over

HIV/AIDS MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY IMPACT

• The HIV/AIDS Monitor has been tracking the policy changes among PEPFAR, the Global Fund and the World Bank MAP related to the recommendations that have come out of our research. Explore these changes using our interactive flash tool.