By IANS,
New Delhi: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allocate adequate resources for the National AIDS Control Programme Phase 4 (NACP) 4, currently under formulation, as global funding for this may come down.
“To continue the good work of NACP 3, we will need resource allocation for NACP 4. Indications are that due to reasons of global meltdown, the assistance from donors for NACP 4 would be considerably reduced,” Azad said at the national convention of zila parishad chairpersons and mayors on HIV/AIDS.
The NACP 4 plan will define the national policy for HIV/AIDS over the next five years (2012-2017).
“I request the PM that the resources due to reduction in funding by external donors should be met by enhanced domestic budgetary allocation,” added Azad.
He said the ministry was allocated Rs.11,585 crores for the five year period of NACP’s phase 3 which ends March 31, 2012.
“Out of this, Rs.2,861 crore was provided thorough domestic budgetary support, while the rest came from external donors such as World Bank, (Britain’s) DFID (Department of International Development), Global Fund, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Clinton Foundation, and UNAIDS among others,” Azad said.