Chissano calls for LGBTI inclusion

The former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano has called on countries in the SADC region to repeal laws that undermine access to HIV treatment and health services for all, and ensure that no one is left behind.Chissano who is also the vice-chairman of Champions for an Aids-free Generation in Africa, commended Botswana and Angola which decriminalised same-sex relationships this year. According to him stigma, discrimination and exclusion continue to derail African countries from achieving their prevention goals for key populations. Chissano, was speaking at the meeting of SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV in Windhoek last week pointed out that the sub-region was the epicentre of the epidemic.The meeting is taking place under the theme 'Our Pathway to Sustained HIV Epidemic Control'. “We must enact protective laws that guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and services without any discrimination. There are member states within our region that have done well in addressing these challenges. We must learn from them and others that came before, like my own country Mozambique. We must ensure that Africa's potential for attaining a healthy and productive continent, free of discrimination and stigma is attained,” he said.He however pointed out that sub-Saharan countries cannot and would not end Aids which is a global challenge. “Meeting the 2020 targets and ending Aids by 2030 is at risk unless the scale-up of services and funding is increased. It would only be possible if the international donor community, the private sector and governments sustain and step up their funding, particularly for economically constrained countries bearing the greatest burden of Aids,” Chissano said.Domestic commitment Meanwhile Gunilla Carlsson the deputy executive director for management and governance at UNAids believes increasing domestic resource allocation is key to transition from donor funding and meet the HIV response challenges. She said out that while gains are made in the fight against the disease, young women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected and key populations are being left behind, as are other vulnerable populations in countries in the region.“But country leadership, activism, innovation, and the courage to push boundaries, combined with community engagement and steady increases in both domestic and international funding have ensured a massive expansion of evidence-informed and human rights-based programmes,” she said.According to her, Aids-related mortalities in the region have declined by more than half, and the epidemic that once killed more than a million people in the region per year now claims fewer than 320 000 lives per year. “As a result by 2017, SADC was home to 44% of the world's people living with HIV. Meanwhile, the annual number of new HIV infections has declined by more than a third. And, it is estimated that coverage of HIV-positive pregnant women who receive anti-retroviral medication in the eastern and southern African region has reached 93%,” she said.Donor funding According to Ambassador DAS Harrington, the US government has invested more than US$85 billion in addressing the HIV/Aids epidemic across more than 50 countries through the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (or PEPFAR) since its launch in 2003. Harrington said this is the largest commitment by any nation against a single disease in history and it also demonstrates the America's commitment to investing in Africa's most valuable resource - its people. “And the results speak for themselves. Namibia has reduced its adult HIV incidence rate by 50% in the past five years, in large part due to a dramatic increase in viral load suppression across communities and ages. And our partnership with your governments has produced remarkable progress in other SADC countries as well. eSwatini cut nearly in half its HIV incidence rate between 2011 and 2016. “Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe also have all reduced their HIV incidence rates by more than half since the launch of PEPFAR in 2003,” he said. JEMIMA BEUKES

Chissano calls for LGBTI inclusion

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Chissano calls for LGBTI inclusion

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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