Rio de janeiro: Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has urged Southern African countries to urgently transition towards financial self-reliance to sustain their HIV responses as traditional international donor streams begin to recede. Phaahla made the assertion at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat session during the 26th International AIDS Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
According to South African Government News Agency, the session was held under the theme: Sustaining the HIV Response in Southern Africa Beyond 2030 and took place against the backdrop of significant funding pressures threatening the global HIV response, including the withdrawal of funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Dr Phaahla emphasized the evolving concept of sustainability, highlighting that it involves more than just replacing donor funding. It requires countries to have the necessary institutions, systems, financing mechanisms, workforce capacity, governance structures, and community partnerships to maintain HIV gains for future generations.
Phaahla characterized health sovereignty as a central pillar to the SADC's strategy, stressing that countries must determine the direction of their own health responses. This involves mobilizing domestic resources, strengthening public health systems, building national capacity, and shaping partnerships according to national priorities. He noted that health sovereignty does not imply isolation but rather engaging in partnerships from a position of leadership, ownership, and shared accountability.
He highlighted South Africa's National Sustainability Framework as providing valuable insights into transitioning toward a sustainable and country-led HIV response. The framework focuses on six interconnected domains: epidemic control, financial sustainability, service delivery, governance and accountability, strengthening critical social and community enablers, and resilient systems for health. These domains emphasize that sustainability requires integrated programs, capable systems, and strong institutions working together to maintain epidemic control through domestic leadership and financing, complemented by predictable external support.
Phaahla stressed the importance of regional collaboration, noting that no country can tackle these challenges alone. Regional solidarity is now the SADC's greatest strategic asset, allowing countries to strengthen cross-border continuity of HIV services, maximize resources, and improve access to essential medicines and commodities. It facilitates shared learning, knowledge exchange, and innovation while enabling coordinated responses to emerging public health threats.
The Deputy Minister asserted that the SADC's goals should focus on building HIV responses that are domestically led, community-driven, financially sustainable, integrated within primary health care and Universal Health Coverage, and resilient enough to withstand future shocks. He concluded that the future of the HIV response in Africa will be defined by the systems built, partnerships strengthened, and leadership demonstrated. Through sustainability, regional solidarity, and health sovereignty, SADC has the opportunity not only to end AIDS as a public health threat but to create a lasting model of African-led health development for generations to come.
