Federal Aid Budget 2009/10

The Federal Government presented its Budget last Tuesday night, 12 May. The Aid Budget for 2009/10, entitled ‘A Good International Citizen’ delivered $3,818.8 million in ODA. This is an increase from the 2008/09 Aid Budget of $3,659.9 million, representing a real increase of 5.6%. Australia’s ODA has increased from 0.33% of GNI last year to 0.34% of GNI this year, progressing incrementally towards the committed 0.5% by 2015/16.

Winners this year are Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Pacific. Expenditure on education, health and infrastructure (including water and sanitation) have also increased significantly. In terms of NGO funding, the Aid Budget allocated a total of $54.4 million for the ANCP (an increase of 25.4% from 2008/09). This includes an increase of $3 million for core ANCP funding, as well as $7 million for ANCP Partnership Agreements and $0.5 million for an ANCP Innovations Fund to highlight innovative NGO approaches.

For ACFID's media release on the budget: http://www.acfid.asn.au/acfid-media-release-aid-budget09/
For Micah Challenge analysis: http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/default.asp?mail=1474
For Australia's International Development Assistance Program Budget 2009-10: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/budget/budget09/default.cfm

DRC: Malaria Awareness and Prevention Project

ORAF is funding a 3 year Malaria Awareness, Prevention and Treatment Programme in the Diocese of Aru, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The program has been running from July 2008 and already has made significant progress towards their objectives of: reducing the morbidity and mortality of children under 5 years old from malaria; increasing the use of mosquito nets in the target population; and reducing the morbidity from malaria amongst pregnant women

In their recent quarterly report they share that:

· Education has been undertaken primary schools as well as at antenatal clinics on malaria prevention, the importance of malaria prophylaxis and the correct use of a bed net;
· Workshop has been held for church leaders concerning malaria prevention. This workshop also included a session on the role of church leaders in providing information, education and communication in their communities;
· 250 impregnated bed nets have all been distributed and 300 more have recently been purchased; and
· Follow up visits to 46 homes have been made to check that the nets have been installed and are being correctly used.

Some of the difficulties encountered include:

· Not enough funds for purchasing the bed nets for the target group of pregnant women and children under 5.

· The government policy on blood transfusions has changed and transfusions are now only allowed in hospitals and reference health clinics HC. This means that blood transfusions cannot be carried out at Ekanga HC as it is not a reference HC. The ban on doing transfusions in the HC is a problem as the nearest medical centre that is allowed to undertake transfusions is about 35km away and parents find it too difficult to take their very anaemic children which result in children not receiving the medical help they need.