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African leaders attending the 2013
Special Summit of the African Union on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in
Abuja, Nigeria, reaffirmed a 2001 declaration that called for additional donor
support and a 15-percent increase in government spending to eliminate the three
diseases in African Union (AU) countries. The World Health Organization
reported that only one AU country had achieved the 2011 target funding goal
originally set in 2001.
Nigerian President Goodluck
Jonathan, AU Chairperson Dr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, and AU Commission
Chairperson Nkosazana Zuma promised that AU nations would mobilize domestic
resources to strengthen member countries’ health systems. The 2013
reaffirmation specified that AU countries would develop strategic health investment
plans that were “diversified, balanced, and sustainable.” Participants
stipulated that the plans would include private sector funding and innovative
financing tactics.
The 2013 plan’s key target
populations includes youth, young girls, and women. Strategies prioritized in
the 2013 plan included poverty elimination; evidence-based, integrated
HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria programming; and policy changes to strengthen the
rights of vulnerable populations. The 2013 plan places special emphasis on
eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission, keeping mothers alive, and
addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV, TB, and malaria on children,
girls, and women.
The 2013 Summit participants set a
goal of zero new HIV infections by 2030 and committed to developing national,
regional, and continental monitoring and evaluation systems to establish
accountability and track progress.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
