ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov 10 – Kenya has been allowed to appeal for Global Fund support under Round 9: Call for Proposals.

The technical review panel of the Fund had rated Kenya’s proposal under category three, which does not qualify for funds disbursement.

Kenya’s Round Nine HIV Application was based on the National Strategy Application (NSA), seeking for support of the gaps identified in the Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan (KNASP III).

US$329 million was applied to support HIV programmes in Kenya under Global Fund Round Nine NSA. Under the NSA application criteria, the Global Fund secretariat had blocked out appeals for all unsuccessful National Strategy Applications.

The decision to allow Kenya to make the appeal was reached Monday, during the twentieth Board meeting of the Global Fund To fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Beth Mugo is leading the Kenyan delegation in the Board meeting.

The move to allow Kenya to appeal was arrived following a strong presentation by Minister and the Kenya delegation as well as overwhelming support from delegations from Europe, Asia, America and Civil Society representatives.

While making the case for Kenya, Minister Mugo said that the country was at the risk of loosing the gains achieved in HIV and Malaria intervention if the country did not get support from the Global Fund application.

“The possibility of turning off the tap of new HIV infections, reduction in Malaria deaths and scale up of services will be a distant mirage, if Kenya does not access funds” said the minister.

The case for Kenya and Malawi, the two countries whose NSA were rated unsuccessful received an overwhelming support from delegates attending the Board meeting, with many regions emphasising the need for sustainable support to allow continuity and scale of AIDS, Malaria and TB services.

Other officials in the Kenya delegation to the Global Fund Board meeting include the Assistant Minister of State for Special Programmes, Mohamoud Ali, the director of National AIDS Control Council, Prof. Alloys Orago, other senior NACC and health officials and civil society representatives.

In the meantime, Minister Mugo has assumed the Board membership of the Global fund representing 22 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. The Minister’s appointment in the Global Fund board places the country and the region in a vantage position for advancing the agenda of the region in the Global Fund.