Also In Global Health News: Global Fund Grants In Mali; Uganda’s Progress On MDGs

Global Fund Suspends 2 Malaria Grants, Terminates TB Grant In Mali

"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Tuesday that $4 million meant to fight disease in Mali has been misappropriated," leading the organization to temporarily suspend two malaria grants and terminate a TB grant, the Associated Press reports. "Together the grants are worth $22.6 million," according to the news service (Vogl, 12/7). "An ongoing investigation by the Fund's Inspector General found that 'senior officials working for grant implementers' had stolen about $4 million of that money by submitting false invoices, creating fake bids, and overcharging for training," Science's "Science Insider" blog reports (Cohen, 12/7). Also on Tuesday, the Global Fund announced it had added Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania and Papua New Guinea to an "Additional Safeguards Policy" list, according to a Global Fund press release. "Grants in countries on this list are subject to closer scrutiny of their grant activities by The Global Fund and have certain restrictions on cash movements," according to the release (12/7).

Report On Uganda's Progress Toward MDGs Finds Country Lagging In Maternal, Child Mortality, Gaining On Safe Water

Earlier this week Uganda's Ministry of Finance released a report examining the country's progress on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Daily Monitor reports. The country's "MDG scorecard report 2010, the third in a series to be published," revealed "[u]nder five and infant mortality rates are still high at 137 and 78 per 1,000 live births respectively while maternal mortality is at 435 per 100,000 births. To meet the targets, child and infant deaths should reduce to 58 and 31 respectively while maternal mortality should decline to 131 per 100,000 births," according to the news service (Lirri, 12/7). New Vision adds that the report found "[a]bout 75% of Ugandans have access to safe water, compared to only 53% 10 years ago" (Among, 12/6).