One SADC, One Vision, One Way

Working Together Towards MDG 6: SADC’s Common Vision

Hon. Benedict Xaba, Minister of Health of Swaziland

International AIDS Conference:

Washington DC, USA, 22-27 July 2012

SADC Region

Background

All Member States Committed to MDG 6 By 2015 have halted & reversed the spread of

HIV&AIDS By 2010, achieve universal access to HIV & AIDS

treatment for all those who need it As a community our vision is to enable cooperation &

regional integration by promoting cross-border trade and services

HIV & AIDS, TB and Malaria are among the greatest obstacle to achieving this objective and only healthy nations can promote social and economic growth

Current Status of HIV & AIDS, TB and Malaria

SADC countries remain the most affected by HIV & AIDS, Malaria, and TB because of gender imbalances, culture believes, illiteracy, & poverty

Deepening of regional integration will increase free movement of people, increase trade and reduce poverty

High mobility of people can increase the risks of HIV and other communicable diseases

All SADC countries have reported MDR/XDR-TB cases; HIV-TB co-infection rates from 1% to 80%

75% of people residing in SADC countries are at risk of contracting malaria – most of them children under five & pregnant women

Coordination Mechanisms

Structures exists that allow Member States to plan and implement their decisions collectively

All countries operate based on the 3X1 principle: 1 Strategic Framework 1 Coordinating Entity 1 M&E Framework

Challenges to coordinate many players & stakeholders

Countries Policy Alignment

All National Strategies aligned to agreed targets regionally, continentally and internationally

Heads of States endorsed all global & continental initiatives

Maseru Declaration, SADC Protocol on Health, MDGs, Abuja, UNGASS, NEPAD, African Health Strategy, and HLM resolutions

Coordinating Mechanisms

Achieved/agreed

Different levels of national response adopted frameworks and guidelines

Endorsed Resolutions from High Level Meeting in NY

Uptake of HIV testing is on increase due to “Know your status campaign”

Patients access to ARV’s and PMTCT increased due to GFATM, PEPFAR, and other ICPs

Challenges in- & between countries Case management,

detection, referrals, surveillance systems & patients follow-up

Eligibility criteria for ART still at CD4 250/350

Drug resistance HIV &TB co-infection in most countries

Paediatric treatment for AIDS still weak in all countries

Implementation of Adopted Policies

Achievements

A set of core indicators to agreed upon and in use

Annual HIV and TB and malaria reports used for peer review mechanism & devise feasible solutions

Technical support mainly from country offices of UNAIDS, WHO, UNDP, Roll Back Malaria, etc.

Challenges

Monitor progress due to inconsistence and/or incomplete data submission (validation)

The numbers of new infections, in particular among young people

Integrating HIV & AIDS with SRH, child health, TB and other services

Monitoring Progress in Agreed Commitments

Achievements

SADC HIV Fund in place USD7M as MS initial contribution + 5% of annual contribution per year

Great support directly to Countries from Global Fund, FPEPFAR, Bill & Melinda Gates, USAID, EU,ADB;

USD45M from R9 Global Fund for the SADC HIV Cross-Boarder Initiative for all countries

30M from African Development Bank for AIDS, TB and Malaria for the ADF countries

Challenges

15% of national budgets to health still a challenge

Negotiations to bring down the price of ARVs, 2nd line regimens

Programs over-dependent on external support putting progress to date at risk

Resource Mobilisation

Working together towards MDG 6: 5-Lessons Learnt

Great work done, still more ahead for SADC Countries to achieve the MDG”s targets by 2015, in particular MDG 6. Through “One SADC, one vision, one way” will get there

There is need to increase domestic resources for health to sustain programs and achievements of last decade

There is need to make efficient and effective use of resources and being accountable for both domestic and ICP’s funds

In times of global financial crises affecting results governments should explore public and private partnership

Thank you

To access documents from SADC's HIV and AIDS Programme,

visit: www.k4health.org/toolkits/sadc