Ed. note: Correspondent Lesley Wroughton spoke with Richard Feachem, who heads The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, about your questions and concerns about accountability in the aid efforts in Africa. The group receives all the Red funding and distributes it to countries. Here’s what he said:
The reason that the Red campaign and the major corporations like Motorola and American Express have chosen the Global Fund to be the recipient of the money is that the Global Fund has an extraordinarily good track record in investing the money that produce
s results, produces results quickly, and is accountable and transparent. It is confidence in that system that has caused this relationship between Red and the Global Fund.
Red money flows into the Global Funds red account and is then allocated through normal Global Fund systems initially to Rwanda for projects that help women and children fight HIV/AIDS and in the future to Swaziland and Ghana and after that to other countries. At the first hint of corruption all those standard Global Fund procedures and systems apply to the Red money just as they apply to all the other money that the Global Fund is investing.
That confidence in the Global Funds systems to finance only those people who are delivering the goods and actually improving the lives of ordinary men and women and to take a very tough stance on corruption, that system is the essence of Red. (Pictures: Above right, Clifton Beach in Cape Town/Reuters. Left: Richard Feachem/The Global Fund)
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5 comments so far
Hi,
This is so important, because it’s one of the most often used arguments I hear from people who are sceptical/negative about aid programs in Africa.
Just because in the past mistakes may have been made in some situations, doesn’t mean that all aid initiatives are not being effective. Corruption is something that needs to be dealt with. From what I’ve seen in the ONE campaign, it is being dealt with, and aid is organized in such a way so that it arrives to the people in need.
I’m happy to read about the organization of the RED initiative. The methods and procedures of the Global Fund will help a great deal in improving the lives of many people, even if they live in places with corruption.
Thank you,
Hans - California
- Posted by Hans(red) funds in Rwanda here - sustainable funding to continue what they’ve started, that is awesome. again, it is public information we can observe at their website, and hopefully the press will not need the presence of a rock star and his delegation to keep the reports and broadcasts coming to us often.
Being part of the Global Fund’s e-forum for the past few months has been a highlight of my year, to have Dr. Feachem and his staff consider my thots and feelings in matters this important really makes me feel like a team player here. The funds are itemized and public and amazing numbers, and to see this week the numbers on a spreadsheet transformed into, among other things, the country’s very first form of a healthplan for textile workers, and to see healthy mother and babies we can actually embrace, wow, that says it all. Were to God that the facts here would silence the critics, bring more corporations on board for (red) and additional support for The Global Fund, ONE, and DATA.
thanx for this report, stay close,
sammi fredenburg
- Posted by Sammi Fredenburgseattle washtington usa
news of your travels is somewhat quiet today so far . . . . i just wanted to let you know you’re not far from my heart and mind and prayers. point made in my home last night is that this ten day tour of africa is like MY personal Vertigo Tour, with issues that are important to me, and with the children that i love there in the “elipse.” thank you so much for taking my heart there with you. please blog often.
- Posted by Sammi Fredenburgstay close,
sammi fredenburg
seattle, washington usa
As Hans said, this report is something that i can take back to all the nay-sayers as proof positive that things are different than they were 10 or 15 years ago. Transparency seems to be the catchword now days, but it is so much needed.
I too thank you for this report.
donna - vancouver canada
- Posted by donna_mi thot of this today when i was delighted with the following article concerning how serious south africa is attacking corruption head on such as this. rejoice with me!
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?Repor tID=54110
stay close,
sammi
- Posted by Sammi Fredenburg