A two-day joint meeting of SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV and AIDS was officially opened in Mbabane, Kingdom of Swaziland on Thursday, 12 November 2009 by the Right Honourable Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland.
In his address, the Prime Minister urged SADC Member States to implement SADC policy documents on HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria.
The meeting, which will culminate in the commemoration of Malaria Week starting on Friday 13 November 2009, follows on the heels of a similar meeting held in Durban, South Africa from 15th to 16th November 2008.
The meeting is attended by Ministers, senior government officials and ambassadors from Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The main issues on the agenda of the meeting are the Harmonization and Implementation of Public Health Policies, Health Systems Development and Social Determinants of Health.
The Ministers approved a number of policy documents, including the Draft HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework 2010-2015. Ministers urged Member States who are in the process of updating their frameworks to align them with the regional framework. The Ministers also approved the SADC HIV and AIDS Business Plan and Budget which emphasises multi-sector and inter-programme linkages reflecting the inter-relationships between HIV and AIDS, poverty, conflict, governance, socio-cultural and economic development and the SADC HIV and AIDS Fund.
On the control of communicable diseases, HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Ministers approved the functions and minimum standards for National Reference Laboratories in the SADC region; functions and minimum standards for Supranational Reference Laboratory and Regional Centres of Excellence; and the proposed selection criteria for Supranational Reference Laboratory and Regional Centres of Excellence. The Ministers further approved the Regional minimum Standards for HIV testing and counselling and urged Member States to adhere to them.
The Ministers noted progress made in areas such as sexual reproduction health, orphans, vulnerable children and youths, control of cholera and other epidemics, pooled procurement of medicines and food and nutrition.
They furthermore approved the launch of the SADC Healthy Lifestyles Day during the last week of February next year. This is envisaged to include issues pertaining to improvement of quality of life for SADC citizens such as good nutrition, exercises and rest which would ensure prevention of non-communicable diseases.
This meeting will be followed by a meeting of the Southern Africa Roll Back Malaria network, taking place from 14 to 16 November in Mbabane, Swaziland. This is a meeting of partners in the control of Malaria.
For further information: contact SADC Public Relations +267 3951863
