Ukraine Health Ministry Agrees to World Bank Requirements To Restructure TB, HIV/AIDS Project

The Ukrainian Ministry of Health has agreed to meet all of the World Bank's requirements for the restructuring of a tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS project in order to have suspended funds restored, the Ukrainian News reports (Honcharenko, Ukrainian News, 5/7). The Ukrainian Center to Combat HIV/AIDS recently agreed to restructure its program for the project, which had an estimated total funding amount of $76.4 million, which included a $60 million grant from the World Bank and $16.4 million allocated in Ukraine's national budget. The bank last month announced it was suspending the project because of the government's failure to launch the program and distribute funds. The government to date has spent 2% of the $60 million the World Bank allocated in January 2004 that was to be disbursed over a four-year period. The program was aimed at providing funds for medicines, training for health care workers and other prevention measures. It was targeted at members of high-risk groups, such as injection drug users, commercial sex workers and prison inmates (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/5). The World Bank called on the health ministry to use U.N. establishments to speed up purchases, adopt a national strategy to control TB and develop a plan to improve the administration of the project. A workgroup established by the health ministry recommended that the government agree to the bank's requirements. The group also made recommendations concerning funding for social support programs for people living with TB, laboratory equipment, blood testing devices and condom purchasing (Ukrainian News, 5/7).