…Five-year programme aims to bolster community response, scale up gains
By Bunmi Yekini
The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has announced a five-year commitment of $15 million to support Malawi’s efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030, aligning with the 95-95-95 target.
Speaking at the launch attended by government officials, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and development partners, UN Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda-Dontoh acknowledged the country’s progress but noted the need to scale up existing efforts.
“Going forward we are setting benchmarks that by 2030, if Malawi can completely reduce mother-to-child transmission, that would be better,” she said. “We are also looking at the involvement of communities, civil society organizations, as well as the digitalization of HIV support. That is why we have come together to discuss these critical issues.”
Adda-Dontoh also emphasized the vital role civil society will play in delivering results. “Strengthening the capacity of CSOs will have a great impact as they already have established community groupings within the areas they are working,” she added.
Malawi’s Minister of Health, Khumbize Kadondo Chiponda, praised the initiative and noted that the new programme would help the government scale up its fight against the epidemic, especially in neglected areas.
“Comparing the past 30 years to where we are now, we have made progress,” she said. “But there is need to scale up efforts and this programme will help us reach neglected areas.”
Kadondo-Chiponda also called on Malawians living abroad to continue their treatment regimen. “People leaving the diaspora must not abandon treatment as they leave Malawi. They should get advice from medics on how they can be assisted with extra ARVs to cater for the whole period they will be outside Malawi,” she said.
The programme, themed “Staying the Course, Scaling the Gains,” aims to help Malawi achieve its vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.