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World Bank AIDS loan rejected

    NAIROBI

    Malawi’s government has rejected a US $40 million loan from the World Bank aimed at slowing down the spread of AIDS in the country, a government spokesman said on Friday.

    News reports quoted Deputy Health Minister Philip Bwanali as saying that to accept a loan from the World Bank to fight AIDS would not be advisable since Malawi was already reeling under an external debt of over US $2 billion.

    “We feel it’s unthinkable to accept such a loan for non-productive usage like the fight against AIDS. It could be immoral for us because the country is already heavily indebted. The best thing the World Bank can do is to give us a grant,” Bwanali said. Bwanali added that at least US $161 million was needed to fight the disease but the government had so far only sourced US $121 million.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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