Global Fund pulls
funding for South African HIV prevention program

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has stopped funding loveLife, South Africa's national HIV prevention program for youth, reports the Mail & Guardian. The Global Fund said loveLife had not sufficiently addressed weaknesses in its implementation, which the fund's secretariat said had to be improved within two years of receiving initial funding. About 30% of loveLife's budget during the past two years came from Global Fund grants. Other major funding sources include the South African government and the U.S.-based Kaiser Family Foundation.

The HIV prevention program, which launched in 1999, aims to reduce the number of HIV infections among young South Africans through youth-friendly outreach programs in government clinics, schools, and community-based organizations. Studies have shown that more than 85% of South African youth have heard of loveLife and one third have participated in a loveLife program.

In a statement, loveLife expressed its disappointment in the Global Fund, pointing out that the fund's technical review panel had recommended that the organization continue to receive funding. (Advocate.com)