The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $10 million additional financing grant to Rwanda to help the country fight HIV/Aids, a press statement from the bank says.

"(The funding will) assist the government in consolidating the gains from the initial investments, focusing on interventions with the most significant impact with regard to HIV/Aids prevention, treatment and care,the statement reads in part.

It says the proposed grant builds on the achievements of the original IDA grant of $30.5 million which was disbursed two years ahead of schedule with strong results on the ground.

"The Government of Rwanda has made important strides in scaling up access to HIV/Aids services, improving coverage, and removing financial barriers for the poor. HIV messages have been effectively combined with poverty reduction strategies and innovations in service delivery and the management of drugs and human resources have been widely introduced", said Miriam Schneidman, World Bank Senior Health Specialist and Multi-Country Action Programme against HIV/Aids in Africa (MAP) Task Team Leader.

The Rwanda Multi-Sectoral HIV/Aids Project is part (MAP).

He pointed out that MAP had been an integral part of this effort, empowering beneficiaries to find their own solutions and channelling funds directly to them.

The additional financing will reinforce prevention activities in priority sectors, support the decentralisation and integration of Aids care and treatment in the former MAP provinces, and plan for their sustainability.

It will also respond to the unmet demand of civil society groups to fund school fees and income generating activities with an increased focus on microfinance to enhance sustainability. It will also improve capacities in the newly established districts, and consolidate support for institutional strengthening for key coordinating bodies.

These priority activities are consistent with the recently revised National HIV/Aids Strategic Plan . It will take into account the availability of funding from other development partners in an effort to harmonise and align support.

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