A letter to the African Union and the continent's governments
Foreign aid has been the backbone of Africa's HIV/Aids response but now the continent must take control of its health future.
Dear African Union leadership and African governments,
I am writing not just as a young person from Namibia living with HIV, but as one of the 26 million Africans who depend on lifesaving medication to survive. Over the years, international aid has played a critical role in funding treatment, prevention and awareness programmes, saving millions of lives, including my own.
But the recent decision by international donors, including USAid and Pepfar, to reduce funding for HIV/Aids programmes, among others, fills me with deep fear and uncertainty. Beyond this fear, I am left with an even greater question: where are we headed, and are we doing enough for ourselves as a continent?
For decades, Africa has been at the centre of the global HIV/Aids crisis, carrying the highest burden of infections and deaths. In 2023, an estimated
Young women and adolescent girls are disproportionately affected, with infection rates significantly higher than their male counterparts. In 2023, women and girls (all ages) accounted for 62% of all new HIV infections in the region. Every week,
Structural barriers, including gender inequalities, discrimination, stigma, and poverty, continue to drive new infections in Africa. Many countries still struggle with healthcare infrastructure issues, social stigma and mental health that prevents people from seeking support and healthcare.
For years, foreign aid has been the backbone of Africa's HIV/Aids response, and the progress Africa has made in tackling HIV/Aids is undeniable. Progress has been made in eliminating mother-to-child transmission, expanding access to antiretroviral treatment, addressing HIV stigma and discrimination, and a reduction in annual new HIV infections. There is a lot to celebrate and be proud of.
The recent decision to shift HIV/Aids funding has led to the closure of
Ethiopia is on track to reach the global 95-95-95 targets, with 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 94% receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 96% achieving viral suppression. This pause means that
And
If we do not take control of our healthcare response, who will fund our hospitals, clinics and community outreach programmes? How many lives will be lost before we realise that Africa must take responsibility for its health crisis?
We must take full ownership of our HIV/Aids response. Africa must look inward and implement bold frameworks and policies that prioritise domestic resource mobilisation and allocate greater resources to healthcare, in line with the
We need to invest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing to expand local drug production, ensure affordability, and reduce dependency on imports. Africa must build strategic, localised, global and public-private partnerships to strengthen healthcare independence.
Strengthening health sector governance across African countries is essential to support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's push for universal health coverage. Achieving this goal will require harmonised systems across the continent, along with targeted support for countries that need it, particularly in areas such as procurement, administration and budgeting to ensure effective and equitable implementation.
Our continent is home to brilliant and innovative minds. Let us invest in research and development, lead vaccine innovation and advance treatment and prevention strategies tailored to Africa's needs.
Additionally, addressing poverty and inequality, investing in education and scaling up prevention programmes are now more critical than ever. This roadmap will not only reinforce African ownership of the Aids response but will also accelerate the goal of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2035 and contribute to broader economic growth.
Tuwilika Elias is a public policy analyst and an advocate of advancing health equity.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
7 hours ago
- eNCA
SA universities need R2-billion to save research programmes
JOHANNESBURG - South African universities are in crisis mode. The freeze in US funding has left major institutions scrambling to save critical health research programmes. In an urgent appeal, universities, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, have approached National Treasury, requesting R2-billion in local aid to prevent a collapse in research infrastructure that supports everything from HIV and reproductive health to broader public health systems. The freeze has already resulted in project terminations, staff retrenchments, and massive uncertainty with more cuts looming. Professor Glenda Gray has been at the forefront of HIV Aids research for decades.
TimesLIVE
8 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Bill Gates to direct majority of $200bn pledge towards Africa's future
Gates Foundation chair Bill Gates has announced that the majority of his $200bn (R3.57-trillion) spend over the next 20 years will go to Africa with a focus on partnering with governments that prioritise the health and wellbeing of their people In an address to the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, Gates urged African leaders to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current headwinds. 'I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa.' Addressing more 12,000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners and youth leaders in person and online, Gates underscored the critical role of African leadership and ingenuity in driving the continent's health and economic future. 'By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity — and that path is an exciting thing to be part of.' After his address, Gates joined Dr Paulin Basinga, the foundation's Africa director, in a fireside chat to discuss Africa's development agenda and the investments and partnerships needed to drive future progress. Calls for collaboration and shared responsibility were delivered by prominent African leaders, including Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, and Amina J Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the UN. Renowned advocate for women and children Graça Machel described the current situation as 'a moment of crisis' and emphasised the importance of enduring partnerships in Africa's development journey. 'Mr Gates' long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas and innovation. We are counting on Mr Gates' steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us,' Machel said. Okonjo-Iweala emphasised that Africa's health progress was a result of strong government leadership, resilient communities and partnerships that delivered results. Gates called for prioritising primary health care, saying investing in primary health care had the greatest impact on health and wellbeing. 'With primary health care, what we've learnt is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results. Ensuring the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference.' Gates' speech highlighted how countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia were showing what was possible when bold leadership harnessed innovation. These ranged from expanding front-line health services and using data to cut child mortality, to deploying advanced tools against malaria and HIV and safeguarding primary health care despite fiscal strain. In Ethiopia and Nigeria this week, Gates will see first-hand the state of health and development priorities in the wake of foreign aid cuts, and he will affirm his and the foundation's commitment to supporting Africa's progress in health and development over the next 20 years. While in Ethiopia, Gates met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and heard how Ethiopia was sustaining the momentum on critical reforms, expanding essential services and remaining resilient amid shifting global aid dynamics. From Addis Ababa, Gates will travel to Nigeria, where he will meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria's primary healthcare reforms.
Mail & Guardian
12 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Childhood stunting is also stunting South Africa's economy
More than a quarter of South African children under the age of five are chronically malnourished. That's bad for them, their families and the economy. (Envato) Make a list of the country's 10 priorities for national development. Now whittle them down to five. Does your shortlist include giving children enough nutritious food to eat? If not, you're missing an essential part of what countries need to grow their economies. Children who are well nourished and ready to learn, grow up to be skilled and productive workers that drive economic growth. South Africa has a stubbornly high stunting rate; if a child is too short for their age, it is an indication of chronic malnutrition. Despite tough economic circumstances, we can make a huge difference to child nutrition. Peru halved its rate of stunting among children in Make proteins cheaper The The body can convert excess carbohydrates into some amino acids — the building blocks of protein — but it can't produce nine amino acids that are essential for normal growth. Child obesity among poorer children is often linked to a shortage of protein as cash-strapped parents buy cheaper processed foods and starches. This is why we are seeing an increase in the percentage of children who are All of society — government, business, civil society and trade unions — must unite to make a basket of protein-rich staples far more affordable. Another protein-rich food that must be made more affordable is infant formula. Globally, the profit margin on infant formula is north of This suggestion may sit uncomfortably with some, who might view it as undermining the message that 'breast is best'. The reality is that over half of all Make sure minerals and vitamins are added to food Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals — An effective way of making sure children are getting enough micronutrients is to add them to food staples like maize meal and wheat flour, and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition found that 83% of maize meal in Gauteng and 69% in the Eastern Cape was unfortified or insufficiently fortified. Stricter enforcement should improve compliance, but it would be better if industry just did it without constant policing. There are other effective strategies to supplement micronutrients during pregnancy and the first two years of life. Instead of giving pregnant mothers iron and folate pills during pregnancy, they should get 15 different minerals and vitamins combined in one daily pill. This approach Among at-risk children aged six months to 24 months, small quantity lipid nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) Healthy food for pregnant women Babies born with a birth weight below 2 500g, a Western Cape survey published in 2023 has shown, are The Western Cape government recently Community health workers Countries that have significantly reduced stunting have one thing in common: they can Community health workers (CHWs) are best placed to spot this problem because they visit families regularly, but they are not provided with basic scales to measure weight. Instead, they are issued with coloured tapes to measure Limit the advertising of unhealthy foods Parents want what is best for their children. However, the messages they are most exposed to are not from advocates of healthy living but from the Big Food industry which often encourages eating habits that lead to high blood pressure and diabetes in adulthood. The government should convene a meeting of the dominant food players to forge an agreement towards a healthier nation, which should include constraints on the advertising of unhealthy foods. The five objectives outlined above are attainable even in a cash-constrained environment, but they won't happen without leadership and coordination. The National Food and Nutrition Council is yet to be constituted, but even if it were, its decisions would still need to be rolled out by departmental officials who are relatively junior in the government hierarchy. Good nutrition is so vital to socioeconomic progress that consideration should be given to appointing a 'nutrition czar' with enough authority to drive a strong national programme that could reset the country's trajectory of development over the next decade. David Harrison is a medical doctor and chief executive of the This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
