20100528
africa news

UNAIDS and the Global Fund believe African Union (AU) chairman and Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika's voice should be upfront in the campaign for the G8 to replenish funds. Anti Aids, tuberculossis and malaria, Africa's main killers, would benefit from the development, they say.

Executive Director Michel Kazatchnike said he was in Malawi alongside his UNAIDS colleague to ask Mutharika to lead the campaign.

"We asked him as leader of the country key in achieving major progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the coming few months to champion and advocate development. Specifically we want him to replenish the Golbal Fund to which many lives owe their survival," he told a press conference on Tuesday in the capital Lilongwe.

Estimated at $750 million, the Global Fund basket helped the country put about 300,000 people on life sustaining free treatment, reduced mortality from HIV-related deaths by 70% and reduced prevalence rate in HIV from 14 to 12% in the last five years.

Mutharika, added Kazatchkine, gladly accepted the idea.

"We are confident he will take opportunity when he addresses the G8 club and other development partners," he said.

Michel Sidide, the UNAIDS director, expressed confidence Mutharika was the man to successfully lead and lobby for more finance.

The two bodies expected up to $30 billion to replenish its next year's budget.