Global Fund, China agree to cut $95M from grants for health programs in the country

"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Monday that it will withhold $95 million from the $270 million in grants it had planned to give China" after "months of discussion between the charity and Chinese officials," China Daily reports (Shan, 10/31). Global Fund spokesperson Jon Liden "said ... that during recent discussions, China moved to take over most training expenses and other costs that allowed the saving of about $95 million from unpaid grants," the Associated Press writes (10/31).

"In a recent survey of more than 200 organizations taking part in the fight against HIV/AIDS on the mainland, nearly 80 percent of the respondents said they had received grants from the Global Fund," China Daily writes, adding that the country's minister of health, Chen Zhu, said the decision would not cause these organizations to cease operations and "at least 80 percent of China's money for AIDS control has come from the government" (10/31). According to Xinhua, China had recorded approximately 429,000 ... people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of September, "up by nearly 60,000 over the past 11 months, according to official figures released Monday" (10/31).