Botswana is one of only three African countries that have been able to increase the average government expenditure on health, as a percentage of total government expenditure to more than the15% target set by the Abuja Declaration.
The Africa Focus bulletin reports that the percentage of the Africa average government expenditure on health, as a percentage of total government expenditure, rose only marginally from 8, 8% in 2001 to 9% in 2007, despite the 15% commitment of the Abuja Declaration. “But a number of countries showed substantially greater increases”. By 2007 Botswana, Djibouti and Rwanda had met the 15% target.
The bulletin is part of a new report from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, which states that the Fund’s efforts have contributed to saving an estimated 4.9 million lives by December 2009.
The coming years will see even more results, as half of the total disbursements by the Global Fund were delivered in 2008 and 2009. Much of the US$ 5.4 billion of financing approved in
Rounds 8 and 9 will reach countries in 2010 and 2011, and will continue to significantly boost health outcomes.
