Indonesia seeks $130m health fund

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: Indonesia would likely obtain US$130 million in foreign aid to eradicate malaria, Tuberculosis (TB) and to curb HIV/AIDS, an official said on Tuesday.

Director General of Communicable Disease and Environment Health Umar Fahmi told reporters here the fund would be disbursed in five years, the first early next year at the latest.

During the first two years, the country would receive $16 million each, and the rest would be donated if the program was considered successful and the money was well managed, according to Fahmi.

He said the money, combined with the state budget allocation, would increase the health ministry's capability in handling people affected by malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS from 30 out of 100 cases at present by between 60 and 70 percent in 2005.

There were 583,000 new TB cases found in the country, Umar said, but many of them were not being treated. -- Antara