Malawi president appointed Global Fund champion

Health rights activists have commended Global Fund for recognizing Malawi for her efforts in the fight against HIV AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Speaking in an interview executive director of Malawi Healthy Equity Network George Jobe said the global fund has not erred in recognizing Malawi as it has done well in using the resources allocated to deal with the pandemics.

However, Jobe has faulted the appointment of president professor peter Muthalika as champion of Global Fund’s replenishment campaign because of his involvement in the alleged 145 million corruption scandal.

“It is not proper that the president who is accused of corruption should represent Malawians,” Jobe said.

Concurring with Jobe, president of Nurses and Midwives council of Malawi Dorothy Ngoma said civil society organizations are not in wrong as they are doing their advocacy role.

Ngoma said Global fund should choose another person to represent Malawi.

In her remarks, chairperson of parliamentary healthy committee Juliana Lunguzi said it is unfortunate that global fund did not consider domestic problems and moral grounds when choosing Mutharika to be the torch bearer of the resource mobilizing team.

Lunguzi said “Muthalika’s appointment is a discouragement to the people who have been rendering their efforts towards the fight against the pandemics.”

Civil society organizations under the Human Rights Defenders Coalition have written the global fund asking it to reverse its decision to appoint President Muthalika as Champion for its sixth refreshment campaign.

Global Fund aims at mobilizing resources in ending the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.