Maputo, 24 May (AIM) – The United States government, through its President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), approved on Monday 404 million dollars to support Mozambique in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The 404 million dollars is intended to support the Country Operational Plan (COP) from October 2022 to September 2023 (also known as COP22) and is part of the 4.9 billion dollars that the US has made available to Mozambique in the fight against HIV since 2004.
According to a press release from the US embassy in Maputo, COP22 focuses on accelerated efforts to identify and treat children, adolescents, young men, vulnerable populations, and other people living with HIV.
“The COP22 plan represents our shared commitment to achieve control of the epidemic by putting 1.9 million Mozambicans on life-saving treatment in the next 18 months”, said the US. ambassador, Peter Vrooman, quoted in the document.
“The COP also focuses on strategic investments to maximize programme impact, as well as improved quality of implementation and patient experience; and strengthened partnerships with government, multilateral partners, and civil society”, states the release.
According to the ambassador, the plan ‘represents partnership, innovation, and adaptability to implement experienced and true approaches, and begin to move our program toward sustainability.”
Globally, states the document, PEPFAR focuses on delivering quality, people-centered HIV prevention and treatment services; strengthening the capacity and resilience of communities and health systems to address the HIV epidemic and other health challenges; and building partnerships for greater impact, burden sharing, and sustainability.
In Mozambique, PEPFAR supports HIV counseling and testing, adult and pediatric HIV and TB treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, psycho-social support, laboratory and health services, as well as the strengthening of health systems.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, PEPFAR has ensured that the HIV/AIDS programme continued to reach populations in need, said the release.
(AIM)
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