Action Aid International has criticized the current model of World Bank (WB) funding to support the fight against HIV / AIDS. The agency called for the establishment of a holistic support system for financing HIV and AIDS control programmes in developing countries.

In a comprehensive report on "Emerging Governance Issues on HIV and AIDS in Asia", the NGO felt that the pre-conditions set by WB for availing the funds can only aggravate the conditions that create vulnerability to HIV. "The WB allocates large sums of money to fight HIV and AIDS, the money will only be available if the borrowing countries first agree to adhere to IMF loan conditions," it noted. The agency felt that a system, integrating preventive and promotive measures along with treatment with ARV has to be evolved. Rational use of ART as a part of comprehensive care of HIV positive persons and monitoring of ART by civil society was also suggested as essential.

The report also indicates that the private sector financing constitutes a very minor proportion of total spending across the Asian region. "The role of the public sector will remain critical in terms of prioritizing investments both for and within the health sector, as well as in the signals that it sends to the private sector," it said. Another major finding of the study was that out of the contracts worth $ 3.4 billion the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) signed in 2002-'05, only $ 1.6 billion was disbursed. "Donors and countries hit heavily by HIV and AIDS are now asking why funds are sitting lazy in the WB safe. Except for Cambodia and Laos, per capita health investment by the Global Fund in Asian countries has been less than $1per capita," the report stated.

The report, second in the series brought out by Action Aid was released here on April 7th.