The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says it is reviewing two grants given to Nigeria worth nearly 70 million dollars over five years. However, the Global Fund denies published reports that the action is being taken because of alleged wrongdoing.
Jon Liden is the chief spokesman for the fund. From Geneva, he spoke with English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about the grant review for Nigeria.
He says, “The Global Fund works in the way that we finance grants based on performance. And every grant, every one of our 350 grants, are reviewed around their second birthday for their performance. And the initial commitments of funds for these grants are only for two years.”
If the review gives high marks to the work being done under the grants, they are usually funded for another three years. Since every grant given by the Global Fund goes through this process, Mr. Liden makes clear that the review process does not automatically mean there’s a problem. He calls published reports of such problems in Nigeria “speculation” based on partial information.