The African Networks of People Living with HIV have enjoined governments across the region to increase domestic funding to strengthen local sustainability of HIV response.
The networks also called on Germany, the European community, US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)’s upcoming five-year, and the international community to continue investments to strengthen health systems, make them resilient and capable of sustaining the response to HIV and other emerging pandemics.
The networks made the call at a media roundtable moderated by Shaun van Rooyen during the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany.
David Kamkwamba of the Network of Journalists Living with HIV (JONEHA) Malawi, who read the appeal on behalf of the networks, said there is need to address the 10-10-10 gaps by ensuring total elimination of structural barriers and rights violations against people that are most impacted by HIV.
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He said, “Also, work towards strengthening both facility and community health systems so as to, not only achieve a sustainable HIV response but also ensure that the current gains in the country’s HIV response, becomes better each passing day.”
Kamkwamba said the international community should also provide resources to match the needs identified in the global investment cases to end the HIV pandemic, adding that this is in acknowledgement that withholding this support would leave major and fundamental gaps in the struggle to end the epidemic.
“We implore both parties of the USA Congress to a 5-year PEPFAR clean re-authorization as an essential way to ensure that the current ambitious global targets to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS by 2030 are achieved. The lack of a 5-year re-authorization for PEPFAR would signal a retreat of American leadership and would be felt as a great loss not only in Africa but globally.
Joe K. Tonorlah of Liberia Network of People Living with HIV explained that more resources are needed to ensure that the gains achieved up to date are sustained.
“By doing so, we can achieve a sustainable HIV response, and emerging pandemics and ensure that the gains achieved so far are not reversed,” he added.
Hawi Oyugi of Y+ Global Network of young people living with HIV/AIDS, Kenya, commended the US government and the American people for instituting PEPFAR, adding that it is a powerful programme that has contributed to transforming the global HIV epidemic landscape.
He also said that people living with HIV in Africa are extremely concerned that overall funding commitments from the international community in support of the global fight to end the HIV pandemic is waning as years go by.
Oyugi said unfortunately this is the time when more resources are required to reach the goal of ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
He lamented that some African governments have chosen to criminalise communities that are deeply impacted by HIV.
Deogratius Rutatwa, National Council of People Living with HIV in Tanzania (NACOPHA), said the support of the international community has strengthened procurement power within African countries, which, in turn, has scaled up treatment and prevention in great magnitudes.
He said this support has been instrumental to reducing major gaps in human resources in Africa and strengthened community health systems overall.
Speaking on the value of global solidarity, Edna Tembo of Coalition of Women Living with HIV & AIDS in Malawi (COWLHA) and Joan Chamungu, Tanzania Network of Women Living with HIV, said the community of African People Living with HIV, appreciate the support received from Germany, the European Union and the Global community in helping to strengthen intergenerational lifesaving systems for people living with the disease in Africa.
They said through this support, transmission of HIV from mothers to their children is on the verge of being eliminated.
The African networks include Malawi Network of People Living with HIV (MANET+), Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+), Zambia Network of People Living with HIV, Tonata PLHIV Network in Namibia, Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV(RRP+) among others.
Also, the National Coordinator, Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN), Esther Hindi, in an interview at the conference said there is need for a sustainable HIV funding structure in Nigeria and other African countries so that they can continue to meet their response needs whether there is donor funding or not.
She said that is important as donor funding continues to dwindle, adding, “That way drugs will be available every time for the community because there is local funding, sustainable structure and local production.”
Meanwhile, the African Networks of People Who Use Injecting Drugs (PWUID) highlighted the imbalance in availability of resources between North and South communities and called on the international community to support PWUID communities worldwide.
In their statement read by Rita Gatonye and Ahmed Said, they said the lack of funding opportunities for community-led organisations providing essential services also prevents meaningful involvement of people who use drugs in decision-making process; prohibiting those who are both affected by, and have the solutions to, these issues from sharing their expertise and testimonies.
They said without effective health programme designed and led by people who use drugs, the global community will continue to fall short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal three.
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