The African HIV Control Working Group (HCWG) held a series of bilateral engagements with health ministers and senior government representatives during the 5th Africa CDC Regional Ministerial Steering Committee Meeting, strengthening dialogue around domestic resource mobilization and sustainable financing for health.
The meeting brought together Ministers of Health, senior government officials and partners from across Southern Africa to discuss regional priorities for strengthening health systems, health security and resilience.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the HCWG representatives engaged with Ministers of Health and heads of delegations from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration around domestic resource mobilization (DRM), particularly as African countries seek to sustain essential health programmes amid changes in the global health financing environment.
Among the engagements was a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, which provided an opportunity to discuss the importance of African-led approaches to sustainable health financing and stronger domestic investment in health.
The HCWG’s work was subsequently referenced in Dr Kaseya’s address to the meeting, reflecting the growing attention to domestic resource mobilization and sustainable approaches to financing Africa’s health priorities.
The meeting also highlighted regional efforts to strengthen health systems and reduce vulnerabilities, including Namibia’s commitment to the Africa CDC Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM). The mechanism aims to leverage collective regional purchasing power to improve access to essential health products and strengthen supply security.
For the HCWG, the engagements reinforced the importance of continued collaboration with African governments and regional institutions as countries work to protect gains in the HIV response while navigating a changing global financing landscape.
The HCWG was represented by its Co-Chairs, Dr. Madga Robalo and Dr. Nyaradzo Mavis Mgodi, alongside HCWG member Dr. Alex Coutinho. The Secretariat was represented by Dr. Mumbi Chola, Technical Lead – Strategic Information & Research, and Ms. Ina Kafunda, Health Policy and Law Lead.
The Working Group will continue to engage governments and regional partners on opportunities to strengthen domestic financing and advance sustainable, African-led approaches to the HIV response.
