Global Fund Approves $70M for HIV/AIDS Programs in Kenya Despite Delay of Audit Submission for Previous Grant

The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved a three-year, $70 million second-phase grant for programs in Kenya even though the country delayed submission of an audit report for a previous grant, Global Fund spokesperson Rosie Vanek said Thursday, Agence France-Presse reports (Agence France-Presse, 4/27). The grant is a "follow-up" to a three-year, $37 million grant that ended earlier this year because the Kenyan government delayed the submission of an audit report and thus failed to receive $10 million in funds, Kenya's Standard reports (Otieno, Standard, 4/27). Vanek said even though the audit of the first-phase grant was late, there were no indications of unaccounted for or mismanaged funds, Reuters reports (Reuters, 4/26). Vanek on Thursday said, "This is a conditional go," adding, "The board has approved the second phase grants to Kenya, with additional conditions." Vanek did not disclose the terms of the agreement (Agence France-Presse, 4/27). According to the Standard, more than 53,000 HIV-positive people in Kenya receive antiretroviral therapy that is provided with Global Fund assistance (Standard, 4/27).