Sandton: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Lydia Zigomo, emphasized the SADC region’s continued global leadership in addressing HIV, highlighting sustained reductions in new infections and AIDS-related deaths. This progress is attributed to a combination of prevention measures and the expansion of treatment options.
According to South African Government News Agency, Zigomo addressed the ongoing SADC Health Ministers Meeting near Johannesburg, asserting that the region is at a pivotal point as it approaches the year 2026. She emphasized that while significant strides have been made in positioning reproductive rights as key to sustainable development, the progress remains tenuous.
Zigomo stated that by 2025, the SADC region is actively implementing a new global strategy aimed at accelerating progress towards 2030. The strategy focuses on achieving three transformative results: eliminating preventable maternal deaths, addressing unmet family planning needs, and eradicating gender-based violence and harmful practices.
In East and Southern Africa, the importance of HIV prevention extends beyond health goals, reflecting a critical necessity for the region. Zigomo highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by adolescent girls and young women, noting their disproportionate burden. In 2018, under the leadership of South Africa, Eswatini, and Namibia, the SADC SRHR Strategy was adopted, marking a commitment to every woman and girl in Southern Africa.
The mid-term review, conducted seven years after the strategy’s adoption, shows that the region has moved beyond policy declarations to tangible actions. According to Zigomo, over 163 laws, policies, and strategies have been developed or strengthened in areas such as maternal health, HIV, family planning, adolescent SRHR, CSE, and gender equality, with the SADC region scorecard indicating measurable progress.
Significant reductions in maternal mortality have been observed in countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, with declines reaching up to 50% in some cases. The region’s leadership in the HIV response continues, driven by prevention and treatment scale-up.
The meeting, chaired by South African Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, focuses on discussing priority health issues, reviewing regional health commitments, and strengthening collaboration to address shared public health challenges. The SADC region faces a disease burden characterized by high HIV/AIDS prevalence, tuberculosis, and malaria, compounded by rising non-communicable diseases and climate-related health risks.
The region accounts for at least one-third of the global HIV and AIDS population, with eight member states experiencing some of the highest TB rates. Additionally, approximately 75% of the region’s population remains at risk of contracting malaria, a preventable and treatable disease.