The Government of Sweden on 23 February signed an agreement to set up a multidonor trust fund at ADB to assist Asia and Pacific’s developing countries in their fight against HIV/AIDS with an initial contribution of USD 14.3 million.
The Fund will provide grants to help the countries develop comprehensive responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with a priority given to areas and communities that are especially poor and vulnerable to, or affected by, AIDS.
Intended to be a multidonor facility running for an initial period of four years, the fund will finance new sub regional and national HIV/AIDS interventions falling into three major categories – pilot demonstration projects; leadership strengthening and evidence-based capacity building; and program coordination, technical support, and monitoring.
The HIV/AIDS Fund was launched during a multi-sector partnership forum, “Leadership & Vision for the Future – A Partnership Forum on HIV/AIDS in the Philippines”, held on 22-23 February 2005, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Makati City.
The forum was organised by the Embassy of Sweden in Manila, in cooperation with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), the United Nations Country Team, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
