The Sunday Mail
As the African continent is in the midst of fighting HIV and Aids, there is a need for the continent to develop strategies to domesticate HIV funding.
In order to create an HIV-free generation in Africa by 2030 as declared by African leaders at the Abuja+12 Summit in July 2013, it is essential for countries to have a sustainable domestic source of funding to increase access to life-saving anti-retroviral therapy.
Africa Union Commission Commissioner of social welfare Dr Mustapha Kaloko has urged African countries to drop the dependancy syndrome and unlock internal resources to fund its own initiatives.
At a media briefing on the eve of World Aids Day commemorations at in Victoria Falls last week, Dr Kaloko said, “We acknowledge the help that Africa is getting from donor funding, but we are saying this funding is not adequate for the continent to meet its targets. Therefore, Africa should develop new strategies that promote domestic funding for health in our continent.
“Africa needs to invest more in health. This is not just an investment in controlling diseases, but it has positive impact on development.
“While diseases result directly from poverty, they also perpetuate impoverishment. Increasing domestic investments should not be seen as disbursement but smart investment in the economic development of countries.”
Dr Kaloko applauded Zimbabwe’s National Aids Trust Fund as a domestic financing mechanism. The fund was initiated in 1999 and between 2009 and 2014, it mobilised US$150 million.
African countries like Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia have all visited Zimbabwe to learn and adapt the concept.
The 2014 World Aids Day continental themse was “Getting to Zero in Africa, Africa’s Responsibility and Everyone’s Responsibility”.
With World Health Organisation guidelines stating that people living with HIV and AIDS must be initiated on ART when their CD4 count drops to 500, it means more funding for treatment is required.
At the Victoria Falls commemorations, Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said, “While achievable, ending AIDS will only happen if we take immediate and urgent action.
“Part of the action relates to financing our own national responses in specific countries.
“I am encouraged that a decade after the Abuja commitments, various countries have begun to explore and initiate sustainable domestic funding options, including earmarking 0,5 to one percent of ordinary government revenues to an HIV Trust Fund.”
He applauded Benin, Congo, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda and Uganda for introducing innovative measures – such as charging levies on mobile phone usage and airline tickets – to fund HIV and AIDS intervention programmes.
Dr Parirenyatwa went on: “We still remain the epicentre of the AIDS pandemic, and this behoves us to be creative in addressing our own challenges. It is too early for our external partners and donors to consider severing the funding umbilical code as the results may be disastrous.”
Over the past decade, international donors have provided vital support in the continent’s fight against HIV epidemic.
According to the Avert HIV and Aids report, in 2012 roughly 25 million people were living with HIV in Africa, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the global total. In the same year, there were an estimated 1,6 million new HIV infections and 1,2 million AIDS-related deaths.
