LIBERIA REQUESTS MORE ARV FUNDING

The national program to fight HIV/AIDS in Liberia says it is concerned about the future of programs distributing antiretroviral (ARV) medicines after a grant from international financing body, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, ends in December, according to UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN).

In 2004 the Global Fund approved a request by the government to provide $7.6 million over two years to fight AIDS in Liberia. Programs for scaling up HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment were launched the same year but, according to the national program, without new funding these initiatives will stop at the end of 2006.

The program believes that the government will be unable to provide ARVs when the Global Fund grant expires. Liberia has submitted a proposal for a new grant. The Global Fund received proposals for grants totaling $5 billion by the August deadline, and its review panel will finish assessing the proposals in November, but officials predict there will be a shortfall, according to IRIN.