In the Fight Against AIDS, Armenia’s Hope is The Global Fund

Funds from Armenia’s state budget won’t be sufficient to carry out activities to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS in Armenia, if The Global Fund cuts its funding, said RA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood Chair Ara Babloyan in response to a question by Epress.am as to whether Armenia is ready to finance projects to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS if The Global Fund stops financing such measures in Armenia during a press conference today held on the occasion of World AIDS Day.

Note that The Global Fund currently finances 60% of projects to fight AIDS in Armenia. The agreement with Armenia to finance projects is in effect till 2012. 

“However, if such a thing were to happen, we will try to secure additional resources from other international agencies, since this is not a problem of a particular country, but rather a global problem,” he said. 

RA Ministry of Healthcare representative Tigran Sahakyan, in turn, noted that in the case of The Global Fund terminating its financing, funds will be provided for from the country’s reserve fund.

According to him, Armenia, in any case, cannot solve the problem alone. Sahakyan also added that, in his opinion, there won’t be a cut in funding. 

Hovhannes Madoyan, co-chair of Real World, Real People, a NGO which aims to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV in Armenia, said it’s obvious, the Government of Armenia cannot allocate $3.5 million annually only for a program to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

“It remains only to hope that The Global Fund doesn’t cut its funding,” he said.