AIDS funding should be channelled through district assemblies - Benefo

Saltpond, Oct. 27, GNA - The Mfantseman District HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Person, Mr. Jonathan Benefo, has appealed to the Ghana AIDS Commission to channel funds meant for non-governmental organisations (NGO) campaigning against the spread of the pandemic through district assemblies to enhance effective monitoring.

Mr. Benefo said because NGOs got their funds directly from the Commission, most of them had no regard for the district focal persons and said the situation was creating problems in the monitoring and evaluation of their activities.

He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Saltpond on his assessment of the performances of CBOs and NGOs so far in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the district. Seven CBOs and three NGOs are being supported from Ghana AIDS Response Fund.

Mr Benefo said unlike the community-based organisations (CBOs) that got their funds through the assemblies and were prepared to take instructions from the focal persons, some of the NGOs were "doing their own things."

Some of them have even refused to send copies of their programmes of activities to the focal persons for monitoring and evaluating. They were only seen when their reports were ready and they needed covering letter from us, he said.

Mr. Benefo said HIV/AIDS posed a big challenge to the survival of mankind and it was imperative that "we ensure that resources put into its fight are judiciously used."

He commended some of the organisations for doing a good work.