Regional Integration in the Context of HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria: The case of SADC Presentation at the XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington DC 22 July 2012 Eng. J S Caholo Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration SADC Secretariat

Objectives of SADC  Promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development  Promote and maximise productive employment and resource utilization in the region  Combat HIV and AIDS or other deadly and communicable diseases (CD)  Mainstream gender in the process of community building

Instruments to Operationalize Regional Work  RISDP  Provides stakeholders with coherent and comprehensive long term Development Plan for the region  Protocols  e.g. Protocol on Health  Declarations  e.g. Declaration on HIV and AIDS  Strategic Plans and Code of Conducts  Regional Minimum Standards and Guidelines

SADC Protocol On Health  Developed in 1999 and ratified in 2004  Articulates areas of regional cooperation on health  Aims to progressively achieve equivalence, harmonization, and standardization in the provision of health services  CD prioritized in the Health Protocol, specifically HIV and AIDS, TB, and Malaria  The Protocol calls for harmonization and standardization in areas such as:  Case Definition  Notifications systems  Treatment

CD a Public Health Concern  HIV and AIDS, TB, and Malaria are the largest contributors to morbidity and mortality in the region.  HIV burden  SADC accounts for a third of people living with HIV in the world  TB Burden  8 SADC MS are among the 15 countries with the highest cases of TB in the world  HIV/TB Burden  9 SADC MS account for 50 % of the global HIV cases associated with TB  Malaria Burden  75% of the SADC population is at risk of contracting malaria  The trio are a threat to sustainable development of the region

Declarations to Support CD Programs  Declaration on HIV and AIDS  Adopted in 2003  Reaffirms commitment to combating HIV and AIDS  Draft Declaration on TB in the Mining Sector  To be presented for review and possible approval by SADC Heads of State or Government in August 2012

Strategic Plans for CD  SADC HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan  SADC Strategic Framework for Control of Tuberculosis in the SADC Region – 2007 – 2015  SADC Malaria Strategic Framework ( )  SADC Malaria Elimination Framework

Regional Minimum Standards  Prevention and management of HIV and AIDS  Prevention and management of TB including MDR & XDR TB  Prevention and Management of Malaria including elimination of Malaria  Minimum standards for special populations such as:  Military  Prisons  Mobile Populations

Domestication of Agreed Regional Standards  Advocacy for adaptation by national leaders  Training for enhancing skills in agreed areas  Monitoring progress in adaptation  Updating of policies  Impact in national indicators

Case studies for integration  Cross-border project on HIV and TB  Regional Centers for Excellence Quality Assurance for Laboratories in CD  Regional Centers for Excellence for Training on Laboratories  Regional Database for CD  Draft Framework for Mobile Populations and Communicable Diseases  Minimum Standards for Communicable Diseases and the Military

Monitoring and Evaluation  Regional Annual Epidemic Report on HIV and AIDS  Regional Annual Report on the Status of TB  Regional Annual Report on the Status of Malaria  Planning to have an integrated annual report on CD in future

Conclusion  CD are a key priority in the SADC region  Progress has been noted in all the three diseases  Progress has been made possible by both the commitment of MS and Support from International Cooperating Partners  SADC regional work has been instrumental in facilitating sharing of best practices and resources

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