Kyrgyzstan Requires 500 Million Soms Annually for Tuberculosis and HIV Treatment
Kyrgyzstan Faces Funding Shortfall for Tuberculosis and HIV Treatment
The Association of Healthcare Programs Partner Network has raised concerns that Kyrgyzstan may need to allocate between 400 to 500 million soms annually from its budget for the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV if the Global Fund stops funding. Aibar Sultangaziev, the director of the association, made the announcement at a press conference dedicated to World AIDS Day.
Sultangaziev explained that these funds are currently used to purchase medicines, tests, and reagents for the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV. He also revealed that the country has already purchased all necessary medicines for 2024, ensuring that there will not be a shortage of treatment for tuberculosis and HIV in the near future.
However, the director also highlighted that there is a serious threat to the financing of treatment for 2025 and beyond. This concern arose after it was revealed in September that the Global Fund will stop funding the fight against AIDS. The decision was made due to the absence of representatives from Kyrgyzstan’s government agencies at a meeting in Geneva to discuss the details of the country’s application for 2024-2026.
The regional manager of the Global Fund, Dimitru Latichevski, stated that negotiating the application from Kyrgyzstan had been halted, and prior to this, the Global Fund had approved funding of $27.8 million for the country until 2026. Sultangaziev further mentioned that if an agreement is not reached by December 8th, Kyrgyzstan will need to submit a new application to secure funding for the following years.
The potential shortfall in funding has raised concerns about the continuity of treatment for tuberculosis and HIV in Kyrgyzstan, with the government being urged to find a solution to maintain essential healthcare services for affected populations.
