VZCZCXRO1109
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGO #0099 0291050
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291050Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5655
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1312
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0140
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4456
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1907
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3717
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7238
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0594
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4814
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1036
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1035
RUDKIA/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0823
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3025
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0676
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS RANGOON 000099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA, TREASURY FOR OASIA:AJEWELL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI EAID PHUM KHIV BM
SUBJECT: THREE DISEASES FUND LOOKING FOR PARTNERS 
 
REF: 06 RANGOON 1195 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: In December, the UNOPS interim manager for 
the Three Diseases Fund to fight malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS in 
Burma (3D Fund) called for Expressions of Interest from 
organizations to provide services for projects, effectively 
starting the new Fund's operations.  UNOPS expects to have 
the full time Fund Manager in Rangoon by the end of February, 
and contracts will begin on April 1, 2007.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On December 11, Mike Adair, UNOPS's "Team Leader, 
a.i.," for the Three Diseases Fund for malaria, TB and 
HIV/AIDS in Burma released a Call for Expressions of Interest 
(EOI) for organizations to implement projects for the 3D 
Fund.  Adair, who works from the Bangkok UNOPS office, sent a 
message to a broad audience in Rangoon which said that 
Implementing Partners, drawn from UN Agencies and 
International NGOs, will work with local NGOs, professional 
associations, the private sector and local civilian 
administrations at township level to, "deliver and scale up 
provision of health services to address the three diseases." 
 UNOPS also placed the call for EOIs in local media.  Fund 
personnel will screen the EOIs, due in Bangkok by noon on 
January 22, to identify partners who can implement 3D Fund 
priority activities that will start either on April 1 or July 
1, 2007. 
 
¶3. (U) According to Brian Williams, Director of UNAIDS in 
Rangoon, UNOPS expects the Fund Manager will start work by 
the end of February, although it had not yet received 
approval from the GOB for the nominated candidate.  3D Fund 
staffing in Rangoon will include six expatriates and 20 local 
employees.  The six donors, the EC, UK, Australia, 
Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, have committed approximately 
$20 million per year for three years.  Donors will have four 
representatives on the Fund Board, along with three regional 
experts.  Fund staff will screen the individual project 
proposals first, and the Board will make the final decision 
on which projects are approved for 3D Fund support.  The 
projects will support elements of the National Action Plans 
for the three diseases. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Williams noted that the first contracts are slated 
to begin on April 1.  The Expanded Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, 
comprised of UN, INGO and GOB representatives, coordinated 
bridge funding from the phase out of the Global Fund to the 
start of the 3D Fund (reftel).  Projects under the Global 
Fund will end on March 31. Williams said he expected HIV/AIDS 
projects to receive the largest share of funds because 
treatment is more expensive; the government has less 
involvement, making it easier to transparently deliver 
services; and more capacity exists in this field to absorb 
large amounts of funding. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Reputable INGOs working in the health field in Burma 
must contend with obstructionist bureaucracy and restrictive 
regulations, but many have been able to conduct their 
activities at the local level while keeping resources out of 
GOB hands.  The INGO community is excited about the new 
funding -- many submitted proposals and some even delivered 
the submissions in person, not taking a chance on Burma's 
unpredictable mail services.  PSI, which receives US funding 
for HIV/AIDS told us they will submit a proposal. 
VILLAROSA