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, 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

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