SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) health ministers have called upon governments to mobilize alternative funding sources to sustain critical health programs, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria prevention, treatment and control.
SADC held a two-day virtual extraordinary meeting of health ministers last week to address critical health challenges facing the SADC region.
Addressing a post-cabinet media briefing Tuesday, information minister Jenfan Muswere said SADC health ministers endorsed key health initiatives to address the challenges.
“In addition, member states were urged to mobilise alternative funding through public-private partnerships and domestic resource mobilisation for critical health programmes, including HIV, TB and malaria prevention, treatment and control.
“The Meeting also endorsed the SADC TB Strategic Plan, expansion of the E8 Malaria Elimination Initiative to all 16, SADC Member States under the auspices of SADC, a project to accelerate the implementation and investment into the SADC Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) strategy, the feasibility study on the establishment of a Southern Africa Health Organisation and the establishment of the SADC Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS) as an Autonomous Special Purpose Vehicle under the principle of subsidiarity,” Muswere said.
This comes at a time when the region is facing funding shortages following an executive order freezing almost all United States foreign aid in line with President Donald Trump’s “America First”.
Over 50 African countries have been benefiting from the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which provided critical HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
