World Bank Approves $100M Loan for Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program

The World Bank on Thursday approved a $100 million loan to help Brazil combat HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, Xinhua News Agency reports (Xinhua News Agency, 6/28). The World Bank funding will go toward the AIDS & STD Control III Project, which aims to reduce STD and HIV incidence and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS. The objectives will be achieved by:

Expanding the quality and coverage of interventions;
Strengthening monitoring and evaluation capacities;
Decentralizing program financing and management;
Introducing new technologies in treatment and prevention; and
Reducing discrimination and the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

"The project will benefit the general population, and particularly high-risk groups, by reducing their risk of contracting HIV," Vinod Thomas, World Bank Brazil country director, said, adding, "The project will also benefit people living with HIV/AIDS by improving their quality of life through the provision of ART, care for opportunistic infections and support for human rights issues." The total cost of the project is $200 million; $100 million of financing will come from the World Bank, and the Brazilian government will provide the other $100 million (World Bank release, 6/27).

Additional information on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Brazil is available online as part of kaisernetwork.org's Issue Spotlight on HIV/AIDS.

A kaisernetwork.org interview with Dr. Paulo Teixeira, director of the national STD/AIDS Programme of Brazil's Ministry of Health, is available online. This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

World Bank Approves $100M Loan for Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program

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