By: Ambrose Barigye

The Global Fund last week signed grant agreements with the Government of Uganda amounting to US$ 226,241,454 (Two Hundred Twenty Six Million Two Hundred Forty One Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Four US Dollars) for the period 2015 – 2017.

The grants have been given in support of Uganda’s response to HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, strengthening the health and community systems for quality, equitable and timely service delivery. These grants are in addition to a Malaria grant amounting to US$ 148,967,805 which was signed in December 2014.

The Principal Recipients of the grants are Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and The AIDS Support Organization (Uganda) Limited (TASO). The ministry’s major role is to implement the Global Fund supported programme activities through the Ministry of Health.

The grant distribution is summarized below

Grant Name	Signed Amount in US Dollars
UGA-H-MoFPED (HIV Grant)	$176, 173,922
UGA-S-MoFPED (HSS Grant)	$14, 396,562.33
UGA-S-TASO (HSS Grant)	$7, 163,636
UGA-T-MoFPED (TB Grant)	$21, 703,221
UGA-C-TASO (Integrated HIV-TB Grant)	$6, 804,113.22
TOTAL	$226, 241,454.55

Kikonyongo Kivumbi the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) and sex workers’ representative to the Uganda Country Cordinating Mechanism (UCCM) said the grant is a much needed step towards the eradication of HIV/AIDS as well as tuberculosis in the sexual minority communities.

“HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are some of the biggest problems the country continues to face and they are an even bigger problem to LGBTI persons and sex workers since they cannot readily access medical care. Such moves by the global community will definitely make a difference,”Kikonyongo said on being asked what this grant meant to minority groups in Uganda.

The strategies that have been set up by TASO and the beneficiary ministries all address prevention programs for men who have sex with men, sex workers and their clients as wells as youth among other categories.