SD reduces HIV infections by 50% – The Swazi Observer
SWAZILAND has managed to decrease the rate of new HIV infections by over 50%.
This was observed at the recent ordinary joint meeting of SADC ministers of health and ministers responsible for HIV and AIDS held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
This meeting was held from January 12-16. According to Minister of Health Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane, ministers noted that the SADC region continued to experience a huge burden of communicable diseases. The big three, namely HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria remain the largest contributors to morbidity and mortality across SADC. The meeting also noted that declines in new HIV infections of 26% and above were recorded in eight member states between 2001 and 2011.
“Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe recorded declines in new HIV infections among adults of between 26% and 49%, thus, surpassing the global target. Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland recorded declines in new HIV infections above 50% during the same period,” she said.
Reduction
Simelane said eight-member states are likely to reach by end of 2015 the 50% target reduction in new HIV infections. The E8 burden remains high in the member states but significant achievements have been made in diagnostic and provision of T8 treatment. The ministers also took note of the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and the need to address them.
Recent statistics showed that an estimated 214 210 people in the country will have been diagnosed to be living with HIV and the national goal is to half the number of new infections by 2015. The controversial yet much talked about ‘No Sex’ campaign by NERCHA and Lusweti that was also endorsed by the minister also had the same mandate of decreasing the number of new infections.
Statistics
The minister said such statistics showed that the country was headed towards the right direction of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, as well as developing a global partnership for development. The minister also said the main purpose of the joint meeting was to review progress in the implementation of regional policies and programmes for addressing public health issues in the region, within the context of SADC Protocol on Health and the Maseru Declaration on HIV and AIDS.
Ministers also agreed on common positions to be adopted at international for a namely the African Union (AU) and World Health Organisation (WHO).
They also participated in the commemoration of SADC Malaria Day, held on January 16 at Monde Primary School in Zimbabwe under the theme ‘Strong partnerships sustain gains in malaria control’ and Slogan: ‘Combining efforts; Key to success’.
…SD’s gets chairmanship in SADC Malaria fight
SWAZILAND has been announced as the chair of the Elimination Eight (E8) Regional Initiative for the next three years.
This was announced by Minister of Health Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane at a press conference held at the ministry yesterday. E8 is an initiative that works towards the elimination of Malaria in Southern Africa.
The minister said the country received the nomination at the SADC ministers of health meeting that was held in Zimbabwe last week.
Nomination
“Swaziland is now the chair of the E8 regional elimination after being nominated in Victoria Falls. This follows the statistics that showed that the country is leading in fight against malaria, and we will be chairing until 2017,” she said.
The E8 Regional Initiative was proposed in 2009 as a bold strategy to achieve the AU and SADC goals: it brings the four mainland countries targeted for malaria elimination (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland – the ‘front-line’ countries of the E8) together with their middle to high-transmission neighbours to the north – Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe (the ‘second-line’ countries of the E8), to strengthen malaria control and elimination efforts in a coordinated fashion.
The initiative was adopted by the SADC Ministers of Health in 2009, and reaffirmed in 2011 and 2012.
In 2007, the African Union (AU) launched the Africa Malaria Elimination Campaign, committing to transition eligible countries from malaria control to elimination.
Reaffirmed
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) reaffirmed this commitment, pledging to eliminate malaria from southern Africa. SADC identified four countries in southern Africa as having the greatest potential to eliminate malaria by 2015: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. The E8 brings together the national leadership and malaria programmes of the eight countries, supported by an array of partners, to advocate for a coordinated regional approach to malaria elimination, and to advance a series of cross-border initiatives.
