AIDS grant to be finalised

The grant agreement between South Africa and the Global AIDS Fund could be finalised shortly, the country's Health Department said on Wednesday. This follows the government's refusal earlier this year to sign the agreement, citing "technical hitches" as the cause for the delay. Health Department Director-General Ayanda Ntsaluba said in a statement that the US $41 million grant agreement only needed one more signature from South Africa, and could be "sorted out" by the end of the week. He said recent speculation that the country would lose the grant was unfortunate and confirmed that new discussions between South Africa and the Fund were already under way. The grant has been earmarked for the country's Love Life and the Soul City HIV/AIDS projects, as well as the provision of antiretrovirals for people living with HIV/AIDS in the KwaZulu-Natal province.