Asia Expats Forum

Alan Stepney · Centurion Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 853 Location:

The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria says it will stop funding programmes in Burma, due to increased travel restrictions.
A spokeswoman for the organisation said that aid workers were unable to carry out their work properly in the country.

It is the first time the Geneva-based organisation has withdrawn from a country in which it is operating.

It said its decision was regrettable, given the serious epidemics threatening the impoverished Burmese population.

Last year the Global Fund agreed to spend $100m over five years combating disease in Burma.

According to UNAids, an estimated 600,000 people in Burma have HIV or Aids, and the country is thought to have one of the highest rates of tuberculosis in the world.

"We have terminated the grants to Myanmar [Burma] as of yesterday," spokeswoman Rosie Vanek told The Associated Press on Friday.

She added that it was the organisation's "basic principle" to ensure that the money it was given was well spent.

"The travel restrictions appear to be the most recent manifestation of a gradual change in the government's attitude towards international and national humanitarian efforts in Myanmar over the past few weeks," the group said in a statement obtained by Reuters news agency.

"The Global Fund has now concluded that the grants cannot be implemented in a way that ensures effective programme implementation."

All the group's activities in Burma are set to cease by 1 December.

The Global Fund - an independent organisation of governments and private groups set up by the UN - works in more than 100 countries, trying to combat deaths from Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

It is not the only organisation to complain of restrictions in Burma.

The head of the UN World Food Programme, James Morris, flew to Rangoon earlier this month to ask the government to let aid workers move more freely to deliver food aid.
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The Middle Eastern states aren't nations; they're quarrels with borders.- P. J. O'Rourke

toopeekaa 1 · Scribe Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 1934 Location:

Well Alan, I would say that its just more of the same old crap thats so rampant in governments around the world today....... In this case the Burma Junta.....

Greed

Last year 100 million sounded very good...... this year its probably evident that not enought in slipping into the right pockets.....and probably going to the people who it was intended for..... and h**l we can't have that....

Governments today do not work in the best interest of their citizens.... they work in the best financial interest of the power boys, and just make it look like [through some sad story] that you are really taking care of the citizen... and this includes the major countries and governments and leaders, of the world....... GREED , all looking for personal financial gain, or personal power, or personal recognition...... me, me. me. me ,,,,, not the good of the people.... violent

Alan Stepney · Centurion Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 853 Location:

Sad to say, I agree with you.
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The Middle Eastern states aren't nations; they're quarrels with borders.- P. J. O'Rourke

Mike · Site Admin Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 4512 Location:

You have to give credit to the Global Fund for pulling out of Burma. On the other hand we could see a sudden "easing" of travel restrictions and a resumption of the aid program.

I wonder how much of that 100 Mil would have or will end up in teh bank acounts of corrupt officials. Is there an acceptable %? that aid =orgs might apply?
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