Health, HIV, Human Rights CSOs Demands Board Dissolution and Restitution of K57.4M NAC HIV Funds

Health, HIV, Human Rights CSOs Demands Board Dissolution and Restitution of K57.4M NAC HIV Funds

 

Civil Society Organisations in the health, HIV and human rights sector demands swift investigations into the alleged misuse of HIV and AIDS response funds at National Aids Commission (NAC) as recent media reports reveals sum of K57. 4 Million at NAC, was donated to the institutions that are not in their work involved in national HIV response.

The said organizations, Malawi First Lady’s initiative ‘Beautify Malawi Trust (BEAM) received up to K5 Million, National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) got K43 Million and Mulhako Wa Lhomwe received K9.4 Million when these institutions requested NAC to fund their activities.

The CSOs says such donation to the said institutions is a “misplaced priority” hence full restitution of the money must be made including dissolution of entire NAC Board for failure to follow procedure of accessing funds at NAC.

Five CSOs Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Centre for Development of People (Cedep), Malawi Health Equity Network (Mehen), Manet+ and Manerela+ have described procedure that led to release of such funds as dubious means adding that they are worried with the current crop at NAC Board.

At a media conference on Wednesday evening executive directors for these CSOs, Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Martha Kwataine, Safari Mbewe and Rev. McDonald Sembereka said the malpractice will compromise donor confidence in the management of national AIDS response funds considering that Malawi rely on Global Fund which supports HIV response up to 90%.

When making their statement, the CSOs questioned procedure that allowed organizations “not strategically placed anywhere in the national response” to use such huge sums of money.

“There are strategic organizations that play a critical role in the national response whose financial allocation has been decreasing recently; constraining realization of evidence based targeted impact. Thus we do not in any way find the released funds as an investment for impact” said Martha Kwataine when delivering the statement

The CSOs are convinced that government and its agents did not follow set of procedures for accessing funds at NAC but used their power to influence NAC to release the money “while holding its dagger”. They however questioned if the board did authorize the money.

CSOs says, finds these reports as a sharp contrast to President Mutharika and his party’s statements on intensifying public reforms to achieve efficiency and effectiveness.

In their joint statement CSOs are firm in demanding four main issues that must happen immediately that Country Coordinating Mechanism Committee of the Global Fund (CCM) must swiftly investigate and bring responsible individuals to book. Immediate dissolution of NAC Board and be replaced by one with sober minded individuals free from political interference.

Beneficiary institutions NIB, BEAM and Mhlako Wa Alhomwe must refund the money. And Government and its agents should demonstrate the SADC drive on mainstreaming HIV and AIDS for sustainability therefore urged First Lady’s initiative BEAM to “develop strategy for mobilizing resources specific to it needs and not interfere with established causes.”

They are also demanding President Mutharika to demonstrate actions to end abuse of public resources by ensuring that justice is done on this incident.

“What is happening is quite shameful,” said CHHR Executive Director Timothy Mtambo “the time to do childish business is over.”

 “There is nothing to do with HIV response in unaudited institutions like BEAM, NIB, and Mhlako. And those who requested this money must be held accountable and explain the basis of this”

And one of the representatives from Health Workers Living Positively said what happened at NAC is injustice considering that “not so long ago” their organization was denied to access funds at NAC on the grounds that NAC had this year received insufficient funds from Global Fund.

The CSOs have also accused Mutharika for bribing journalist during the recent media interface at Sanjika in Blantyre and said they will make sure that all their demands come to pass.