Lessons from the AU summit on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria

The summit which was theme, “Ownership, Accountability and Sustainability of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis  and Malaria response in Africa; past, present and future” was also an opportunity for member states to review progress and challenges since the Abuja declaration in 2000.The Abuja declarations include the Plan of Action on Roll Back Malaria (RBM); Plan of Action on […]

The summit which was theme, “Ownership, Accountability and Sustainability of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis  and Malaria response in Africa; past, present and future” was also an opportunity for member states to review progress and challenges since the Abuja declaration in 2000.
The Abuja declarations include the Plan of Action on Roll Back Malaria (RBM); Plan of Action on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases (ORID) of 2001 and an accelerated Action towards Universal access to HIV.
At a special session of the Permanent Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the different countries admitted that despite the successes recorded in some parts of the continent, a lot still needs to be done.
Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Ambassador Kongit Sinegiorgis, who addressed the meeting, noted: “We all agree that encouraging achievements have been registered over the past decade in our fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa.
“No doubt this was made possible through the joint efforts of governments, development partners and communities. Some countries in Africa have indeed performed better towards achieving the health related MDGs, particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. These success stories should, therefore, inspire other African countries that are lagging behind to scale up their efforts in the coming years.
“In spite of these achievements, however, we recognize that there are still a number of challenges in our bid to implement the Abuja call to for action and the health related MDGs”.
“In this regards, I wish to note the gaps that still exist particularly in terms of access to HIV prevention, treatment, social protection, care and support, resource mobilization as well as in strengthening the systems of service delivery, sustainable financing, governance and leadership.”
Representing  Nigeria, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Bulus Paul ZomLoLo recalled that the Summit is a follow up of the 2006 special Summit on HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and it will renew the commitments of Member states as well as work closely for a common position on the post 2015 agenda in a bid to review the progress and challenges in the region.
As the Summit came to a close, certain consensus was agreed among the leaders which include that the region will look beyond 2015 to eradicate HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis, while sustaining the progress made so far.
Voicing their decision to journalist at a briefing President Goodluck Jonathan, the African Union chairperson and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and the African Union Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma agreed that accelerated efforts will be sustained to eradicate the three main epidemic diseases facing the region.
President Jonathan who said achieving the MDGs goals goes beyond 2015 added that the region has decided to look at a sustainable development that would enable them eradicate these diseases in the region.
The African Union Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma noted that all the countries in the African region are counting days to the achievement of the MDGs  and that a committee has been constituted which is headed by the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson which is to come up with an African position that would be used to negotiate their position at the next MDGs meeting.
Speaking on the issue of an establishment of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) for the region, Dlamini Zuma explained that it would not be solely meant for the eradication of HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis but will look into other diseases affecting the region.
She said, “The commission will decide if the center will be situated regionally or replicated in individual states, these decisions are all ongoing and soon a decision will be made”.
One of the low points of the consensus was announced by the  African Union chairperson and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn  who noted that the region is not ruling out external financing.
According to him responsibility for the bulk of funding should rest on the continent’s governments while international assistance would also be required to help the region in eradicating the three main diseases.
“African is committed to put the necessary amount of resources. We believe African leaders and countries should get the main stock of it, but we also need international community to support us.
In the course of their deliberations, they restated concern about funding shortage in their declaration, insisting in their draft declaration: “While we are at a critical time in fighting the three diseases, we are still confronted by significant shortfall in financing, which threatens further progress.  Some highlights at the summit include;
HIV/AIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched a new framework to accelerate action in reaching 15 million people with antiretroviral treatment by 2015, aimed at reducing new infections and ensuring a healthy generation.
 The executive director of the UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe said that the framework, themed “Treatment 2015”  would afford counties an opportunity  to expand and upscale HIV testing and treatment which has been proven to reduce the rate of infection, prevent new infections  and enable a healthy generation.
 According to him with roughly 1000 days left to reach the global target of 15 million people on antiretroviral therapy by 2015, countries and partners need to urgently and strategically invest resources and efforts to ensure that everyone has access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
The framework reveals that the foundations for ending the AIDS epidemic are being established by scaling up HIV treatment combined with expanding access to other essential programmatic activities.
The WHO country representative, Dr Rui Gama Vaz said that the new WHO published ‘Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infections recommends early initiation on ART.
According to him it also promotes immediate ART for children under five years and breast feeding women. He noted that switching to the new guidelines would save an additional three million lives globally by 2025.
Malaria
Discussion on malaria revealed at a 50% malaria funding gap meant to boost the anti-malaria programme in Africa.
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, stressed that Nigeria is refocusing its approach to malaria.
Chukwu said:  “We have realized that we need to refocus. We need to focus on the  problem. There is progress, but we think that there is more to be done. It is only when we know where the gap exists that we can know where we can have targeted interventions.
One of the greatest challenges  is to close the  gap totalling over 50% which is a major problem  in African countries.
Executive Director of the RollBack Malaria Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, said in an interview that the biggest challenges facing Africa were the double-edged problems of the financing gap and the development of resistance to insecticides.
The mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite are increasingly developing resistance to the available insecticides, she said.
She noted that though extra ordinary progress had been made in many African countries on the malaria control, many of the countries are very poor and are in dire need of financial support to roll back malaria.
She said:  “5-6 Billion US dollars is required per year worldwide every year to fight malaria. The problem is in developing countries, especially in Nigeria. Only 50% of funds needed are made available through national budgets, but mostly from donor support. More funds are needed urgently.”
Tuberculosis
Though progress has been made in reducing and treating TB no new strategies or breakthrough in treatment has been recorded despite cases of Multi Drug Resistant TB across regions.