Mozambique Launches $2M World Bank-Funded Program Supporting Private-Sector HIV/AIDS Programs
Mozambique's national AIDS agency, Conselho Nacional de Combate ao HIV/SIDA, on Monday launched a two-year, $2 million program that will support private-sector initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS, Xinhua/People's Daily Online reports. The program, called Avante, will be implemented by CNCS and the privately owned consultancy group Austral Consultoria e Projectos and is funded mostly by the World Bank. It will encourage companies to initiate projects that aim to improve HIV/AIDS awareness in the business community and promote the benefits of initiating workplace HIV/AIDS programs, according to a CNCS release. Each company that wishes to participate in the program must submit a proposal to a committee, and, if approved, will receive between $6,000 and $100,000 to operate the proposed program, ACP General Director Jeanne Stephens said. Currently, there are 100 companies registered with the project (Xinhua/People's Daily Online, 8/2). Mozambique has an HIV prevalence rate of 14.9% among people ages 15 to 49, and 1.4 million HIV-positive people are estimated to be living in the country, 60% of whom are women. Health authorities also estimate that about 500 new HIV infections occur daily in the country (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/23).
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