The Kenya Red Cross has signed a grant agreement with the Global Fund to provide HIV prevention, treatment, care and support towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
The agreement will run for the next three years starting July 1.
“The Kenya Red Cross has been managing this grant since 2012 which has contributed significantly to the increase in the number of communities we serve in accessing HIV prevention and treatment services,” read a statement by the organization.
“Additionally, key and vulnerable communities affected and infected by the disease including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, have greatly benefited from comprehensive health service delivery, and human rights awareness initiatives which have facilitated in understanding their rights and thus increased access to justice.”
Red Cros said the new grant (GC7) will sustain these gains as well as reduce the structural gaps that impede access to health and social services.
The move comes after Kenya signed four global fund grants amounting to Sh59.7 billion ($407,989,068).
A joint statement released by the Ministry of Health and the Global Fund said that the funds will support HIV, TB and malaria intervention and strengthen health and community systems.
The total amounts for each grant include; an HIV grant of $232,580,654, malaria grant $72,934,665, TB grant U$67,785,529 and health systems strengthening $34,688,220.
The new global fund will support the provision of quality care and prevention services for all people with TB, leprosy, and lung diseases.
“It will contribute to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage through comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care,” the statement read.
Additionally, it will reduce malaria incidence and deaths by at least 75 percent by 2027.
It further aims at the strengthening of Health systems at the facility and community level.
“The global fund will aim to support the procurement of TB, Malaria and HIV commodities including medicines, laboratory supplies and test kits,” it read.
It will seek to support primary healthcare activities at the community level in line with the Universal Health Care agenda.
The fund will also serve to facilitate social support and Social Health Insurance Fund premiums for TB/HIV/Malaria patients to access a full SHIF benefit package.
The Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by diseases designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria epidemics globally.
