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7 October 2004

The South African National AIDS Council, held its fifth meeting this year today, 07 October 2004, in Pretoria.

The Council received a briefing on the operations of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and a report of grants to South Africa by the Fund.

In Rounds One, Two and Three a total of R422 million was allocated. Of this total, an amount R119 million has so far been received.

The proposal submitted by South Africa for round four was rejected by the Global Fund’s Technical Committee, which encouraged South Africa to re-submit it in 2005.

SANAC as the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM) will be making further recommendations to the Global Fund in 2005, based on the progress of implementation by grant recipients. The South Africa Global Fund supported programmes were reported to be on track and showing good progress in the first two years of funding.

The South African recipients of the global fund will be making quarterly reports to SANAC so that the Council can be satisfied as the CCM, that the funds have been used for the purposes for which they were allocated, and to assess the impact of the funding.

The Council noted the disproportionate amounts allocated globally by the Global Fund to the three diseases, AIDS, TB and malaria.

The meeting adopted terms of reference for the Council, proposed by the Executive Committee, as follows:

* To advise government on HIV, AIDS and STI policy and related matters;
* To create and strengthen partnerships for an expanded national response to HIV and AIDS in South Africa, and mobilise resources for SANAC partnership activities;
* To receive reports of all sectors on sectoral responses to HIV and AIDS; and
* To review the implementation of programmes and strategies of the national multi-sectoral response to HIV and AIDS developed within the framework of the national HIV, AIDS and STI strategic plan.

The Council noted that the sixth anniversary of the founding of the National Partnership against AIDS will be celebrated this Saturday 9 October. SANAC calls on all sectors and communities to participate in events on that day to strengthen the national partnership in the comprehensive fight against HIV and AIDS.

Enquiries: Sesupo Makakole Nene
Tel: (012) 312 0131 SANAC office
Cell: 082 462 7278

Issued by: The Presidency on behalf of SANAC
7 October 2004