Announcement of the World Bank Grants the Government of Tanzania United States (U.S.) Seventy-Seven Million Dollars to Improve Livelihoods on July 7, 2003

The World Bank Grants The Government Of Tanzania US$77 Million To Improve Livelihoods Media Contact: Eric Chinje Tel: (202) 458-8418 Email:Echinje@worldbank.org Washington, July 7, 2003 – The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved US$77 million to the Government of Tanzania to support the country’s HIV/AIDS reduction efforts, and to promote the sustainable conservation and management of the Eastern Arc forests. A grant of US$70 million has been allocated for the Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Project which will support the Government’s National Program for HIV/AIDS over a period of five years between 2003 and 2008. The purpose of the Government’s program is to reduce the spread of HIV in the general population through multi-sectoral action involving government, non-government, civil society and community organizations. Albertus Voetberg, the World Bank Team Leader for the project said, “this project will support activities in the priority areas of prevention and the mitigation of the health and socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS at individual, household and community levels, as well as the strengthening of national capacity to respond to the epidemic.” He also added, “both the National Program and project-financed activities will place particular emphasis on assistance to vulnerable groups, including persons living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and youths.” The project will have four components: The first will focus on social mobilization and community level response to HIV/AIDS. A fund will be set up to expand and strengthen HIV/AIDS activities being carried out by communities and non-Government organizations, including employers and workers’ organizations, community based organizations and the private sector. The second component will comprise a fund to increase and strengthen prevention, care, support and mitigation of the social economic impact of HIV/AIDS through programs implemented by public sector entities and focusing on their employee’s protection. The third component will support the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) to fulfill its national HIV/AIDS coordination mandate, which evolves mainly around advocacy, coordination, providing leadership for the multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS, and monitoring and evaluation. The fourth component will support Zanzibar’s AIDS Commission implement the HIV/AIDS Program on Zanzibar. This project is designed under the Multi-Country AIDS Program (MAP) for Africa, which addresses the HIV/AIDS epidemic within a broader context. The Eastern Arc Forests Conservation and Management Project financed by US$7 million grant of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will establish an endowment fund to provide long-term dependable financing for conservation activities in the Eastern Arc mountains. The project will support implementation of institutional reforms for better forest management and provide mechanisms for sustainable financing of biodiversity conservation. The Eastern Arc forests have the highest known number of plant and animal species of any region in Tanzania and represent one of the oldest and most stable terrestrial ecosystems on the continent. Globally these forests are recognized as one of 25 biodiversity hotspots with high concentrations of endemic species under considerable threat. The funding of these projects, approved by the World Bank’s Board on June 3, 2003, is in line with the Bank’s strategy to assist the Government of Tanzania to resume progress made in poverty reduction in the late 1980s. For more information about the World Bank’s work in Tanzania: www.worldbank.org/tz For more information about Tanzania: www.tanzania.go.tz