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A communiqué adopted at the Pan-African High Level Summit on Financing HIV and Health called on parliamentarians to guarantee the right to health for all and stronger advocacy to increase national resources for HIV and health .
"There is an urgent need for our governments to mobilize national resources to ensure sustainable and affordable access to HIV treatment for all, so that all women have the same opportunities as me to raise children in good health and without HIV" said Valerie. Maba, president of the national network of HIV-positive organizations in Congo.
Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, emphasized the urgent need to find sustainable sources of funding to fight HIV and improve public health services in Africa.
The significant increase in national and international funding has enabled African countries to rapidly expand their HIV programs in recent years. In 2018, 16.3 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa, which represents 70% of the total number of people on antiretroviral therapy worldwide. By the end of 2017, about US $ 21.3 billion was available for HIV programs in sub-Saharan Africa, with national investments accounting for about 56 percent of total resources.
Countries were also encouraged in the communiqué to further contribute to global solidarity at the next replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "Today, we are honored to be here, and we salute the efforts of 11 African Member States that have already stepped up their commitments," said Marijke Wijnroks, Global Fund Executive Director.
In 2001, the African Union Heads of State pledged, through the Abuja Declaration, to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to health care to achieve universal health coverage. However, the share of spending on health in national budgets in Africa has actually decreased. By 2018, a US $ 5 billion deficit was projected for the AIDS response and only two of the 55 African Union member states met the Abuja obligations of the Declaration.
In February 2019, African Union member states reiterated their commitment to increase national resources for health on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government through the meeting of the Directorate of Investing in Health in Africa.
"Ending AIDS by 2030 is a goal of sustainable development and an aspiration to the 2063 Agenda. Controlling the epidemic is a prerequisite for lasting results. If our governments do not accelerate and ensure the financial viability of the response, the socio-economic and human burden will worsen, "said Clemence Bare, director of the country's liaison office. 39, UNAIDS to the African Union.
Held under the auspices of Denis Sbadou Nguesso, President of Congo, and convened by UNAIDS, the Pan-African Parliament and the Regional Office for Africa of the World Health Organization, the summit is held in Brazzaville, Congo, the 11th and 12th of July.
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