The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency on Thursday announced it will provide the Zimbabwean government with $7.6 million to fund HIV/AIDS projects in the country, Xinhua News Agency reports.

The Swedish Cooperative Center will receive $1 million for the Food Security and HIV/AIDS Affected Households project, which supports farming for households affected by HIV/AIDS, in Zimbabwe's Kwekwe and Gweru districts. The program will be implemented jointly with the Midlands AIDS Service Organization, according to Xinhua News Agency. The remaining $6.6 million will be used for the Expanded Support Program, a collaborative effort between Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council and the United Nations aimed at expanding access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services.

Goran Engstrand, head of the Swedish Embassy's development cooperation, on Wednesday at a signing ceremony said that HIV/AIDS is a major threat to Zimbabwe's development. He added that Sweden will continue to support efforts aimed at helping families affected by HIV/AIDS in the country. "Sweden also hopes that the support will go a long way to strengthen the mitigation of the effects of HIV and AIDS on the agriculture sector," Engstrand said (Xinhua News Agency, 5/17).