Tag Archives: UNAIDS

AMA, Health

Newly released 2025 scorecard unveils progress and setbacks on health and gender equality across Southern Africa

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Geneva, Switzerland, 26 February 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its biennial scorecard, a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health surveys, shows great strides in improving the sexual and reproductive health of people across the region, while in other areas, concerted efforts are urgently needed.

The SADC scorecard offers a regional snapshot of progress towards the implementation of the SADC SRHR Strategy and SRHR targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health and gender equality. First developed in 2019, the scorecard serves as a social accountability tool and uses a “traffic light” system to track 20 indicators.

The scorecard highlights improvements in reducing adolescent birth rates and the vertical transmission of HIV, while sounding the alarm on a rise in sexually transmitted infections and the need for investments to further reduce maternal mortality:

Lowered Adolescent Birth Rates: Twelve Member States recorded a decline in adolescent births, which can be attributed to the high roll-out of life-skills HIV and comprehensive sexuality education in primary schools.

Decline in HIV infection rates: The region has seen a decline in new HIV infections, however, the latest scorecard suggests that the rate of reduction in new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women aged 15 – 24 years is slowing in seven countries. This could be partially linked to a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in half of the countries and a decline in condom use in a majority of countries.

Reduction in Maternal Mortality: Six countries recorded significant reductions in maternal mortality, based on their latest national health data. This can be attributed to the priority given by the region to reduce maternal mortality, which needs to be sustained in order to preserve the gains made.

Strong progress in the decrease in the vertical transmission of HIV: Twelve Member States are on track to meet the SDG target by 2030, five of whom already achieved the milestone in 2025. Despite this success, children and adolescent girls and young women are lagging behind in receiving HIV services.

In addition to the abovementioned gains, the scorecard also identified areas where concerted efforts are needed:

Family Planning: Eight Member States are not meeting the contraceptive needs of women. Investing in the contraceptive needs of women and adolescent girls can further reduce teen pregnancies and preventable maternal deaths, and ensure their contribution to their country’s economic growth and development.

Gender-Based Violence: Sexual and intimate partner violence remains persistently high across all Member States in the SADC region. Though all countries have made progress in putting in place relevant laws and policies, greater investments are required to ensure their implementation, including the integration of SRHR, HIV and GBV services, so that all survivors are able to ensure their health and well-being.

Domestic financing: No SADC country has met the ‘Abuja Declaration’ target of allocating 15% of their national budgets to health. Four countries have allocated more than 10% of their national budget to health. Countries need to accelerate domestic funding given declining donor investments if progress is to be made in achieving Universal Health Coverage, and to reduce out of pocket expenditures for citizens.

“The true power of this 3rd Milestone Scorecard lies not merely in what it measures, but in the action it demands from us. With only five years to 2030, we must move with urgency, we need to accelerate implementation, scaling what works, and we need to support our commitments with bold, measurable, and accountable actions,” said Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, Republic of South Africa.

“Investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is no longer just a public health issue; it is a fundamental economic imperative. Research has shown us that every dollar invested in family planning, particularly among the youthful population, can yield up to $100 in long-term economic benefits, yet our chronic underfunding and reliance on external aid actively sacrifices our demographic dividend. Political leadership must translate into urgent, domestic financial mobilization that meets the 15% Abuja target. Our greatest challenge is the paralysis between policy commitment and real-world execution. The SADC scorecard and mid-term review of the SADC SRHR strategy reinforces that Member States need to reform restrictive national laws, enforce gender-based violence and child marriage legislation, and fully integrate SRHR into climate adaptation plans to build truly resilient, rights-based health systems,” reaffirms H.E. Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Since 2018, the joint United Nations Regional Programme, 2gether 4 SRHR, composed of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, has supported SADC to develop, implement and monitor the SADC SRHR strategy and its scorecard, with funding from the Government of Sweden.

“The leadership of the SADC Ministers of Health and the Secretariat, guided by the SADC SRHR Strategy, is demonstrating tangible results: reduced adolescent birth rates, fewer maternal deaths, and decreased rates of HIV. These must be celebrated and safeguarded. However, the 2025 scorecard is a stark reminder that these gains are fragile. Without continued commitment and increased domestic investments, these gains risk being undone. As a long standing partner to SADC, the 2gether 4 SRHR programme remains committed to using the scorecard findings and working with Governments in areas where the region and countries are lagging behind.

Collectively, we must do better to ensure that all people can exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights and that young people can achieve their full potential, so that everyone can contribute to the economic and social development of the region,” highlights Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on behalf of the Regional Directors of the 2gether 4 SRHR programme.

“Despite our successes, we now risk a two-speed region where gaps in family planning, HIV prevention, and gender equality strand 94 million adolescents without the wellbeing they need to drive the economic and social development of SADC. To avoid this, all Member States must invest urgently and in sustained ways in adolescent SRHR as a foundation for all SRHR,” concludes Jonathan Gunthorp, Executive Director, SRHR Africa Trust.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of World Health Organisation.

Notes to editors:

The SADC scorecard is published every two years and tracks 20 indicators across SADC Member States, including information on rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, adolescent birth rates, family planning, HIV infections and treatment, STIs, including HPV, number of health facilities offering SRHR services and schools offering sexuality education, as well as number of health workers and budget allocated to health. The scorecard also tracks key legal issues which impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Milestones were set for 2025 and the scorecard’s traffic light system indicates green for progress and red for regression, against a baseline set in 2019.

Explore the scorecard

The SADC SRHR Strategy (2019 – 2030) serves as a policy and programmatic framework for Member States to ensure that all people in SADC enjoy a healthy sexual and reproductive life, have sustainable access, coverage, and quality SRHR services, information, and education; and can fully realize and exercise their SRHR. The 16 Member States in SADC include: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

About 2gether 4 SRHR:

2gether 4 SRHR is a joint United Nations Regional Programme, in partnership with Sweden, which brings together the combined efforts of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO to improve the sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) of all people in Eastern and Southern Africa. For more information and for a one-stop-shop of information and resources in Africa, visit the SRHR Knowledge Hub.

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AMA, Education, Health

Why Africa Cannot Eliminate Cervical Cancer Without Expanding HPV Vaccination Beyond Adolescent Girls 

MaraviPost

By Zwelethu Bashman, Managing Director, MSD South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Marloes Kibacha, Managing Director, Africa Health Business, Cheyenne Braganza, Senior Project Associate, Africa Health Business 

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 22 January 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ –

Introduction
Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally, despite being almost entirely preventable. In Africa, it continues to claim lives not because science has failed, but because policy ambition has fallen short. Over 200 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) exist, with 12 high-risk types responsible for most HPV-related cancers. [1] Although HPV vaccines can prevent almost 90% of cervical cancer, most women remain unvaccinated, leaving cervical cancer among the top killers of women worldwide, with more than 94% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. [2] At current rates of vaccination and coverage, hundreds of thousands of African women will die from a cancer that could have been prevented with vaccines already available.

Cervical cancer hits the hardest where vulnerability is greatest. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the highest prevalence of cervical HPV, affecting nearly one in four women. [3] Women living with HIV face an even steeper risk, as weakened immune systems make them more susceptible to persistent HPV infection and four to five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer. [4] Without urgent action, these inequities will continue to drive preventable deaths across the continent. Recently, Gavi’s inclusion of higher-valency HPV vaccines is an important development in the global HPV prevention landscape and a relevant consideration for countries across sub-Saharan Africa as they continue to strengthen cervical cancer prevention efforts.

Vaccinating Girls First: Africa’s Critical Foundation
In 2018, the WHO launched a global call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat, built on three pillars: vaccination, screening, and timely treatment. Central to this strategy is fully vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15. [5] This focus on adolescent girls is a critical foundation, and African countries have made meaningful progress in recent years.

Rwanda offers a powerful example. In 2011, it became the first African country to introduce a national HPV vaccination program targeting adolescent girls through a robust school-based platform. Today, Rwanda has achieved over 90% coverage among eligible girls, one of the highest rates globally. [6] This success reflects strong political leadership, community trust, and effective delivery systems.
But even Rwanda’s success highlights a fundamental limitation. High coverage among adolescent girls alone does not protect older women, boys, or men, nor does it fully interrupt HPV transmission within the broader population. A girls-only strategy, while necessary, is insufficient for elimination.

HPV Is Not a Women-Only Virus
HPV continues to be framed primarily as a women’s health issue because of its link to cervical cancer. This framing is both incomplete and counterproductive. Men are not only carriers of HPV, they are also affected by HPV-related disease. Globally, one in three men is infected with at least one HPV strain, often after age 15. [7] In sub-Saharan Africa, HPV prevalence among men remains high, sustaining community-level transmission. [8]

HPV also causes anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, conditions that disproportionately affect men and are increasing globally. [8, 9] Excluding boys and men from vaccination strategies perpetuates transmission to women and leaves men unprotected from largely preventable cancers.

Why Gender-Neutral Vaccination Matters for Elimination
If Africa is serious about elimination, vaccination strategies must reflect how HPV actually spreads. Expanding vaccination to boys and men is not only a matter of equity, it is an epidemiological necessity. Gender-neutral vaccination accelerates herd immunity, reduces circulation of high-risk HPV types, and offers critical protection for high-risk populations, including people living with HIV. [10]

Yet progress remains uneven. Only 29 of 54 African countries have implemented national HPV vaccination programs, and nearly all focus exclusively on girls aged 9 to 14. [11]This is an important starting point, but it will not break the cycle of transmission. Elimination demands moving beyond a single cohort and a single gender.

The Forgotten Cohort: Women Who Aged Out
While adolescent girls remain the priority, millions of women across Africa missed HPV vaccination entirely. Many aged out before programs were introduced, while others were missed due to COVID 19 disruptions. [12] These women, now in their 20s and 30s, represent the largest group at near term risk and will drive cervical cancer incidence over the next decade if left unprotected. [13]

In addition, women living with HIV (WLHIV) require tailored protection. Sub-Saharan Africa carries the world’s highest prevalence of HIV among women. [14] WLHIV experience higher rates of persistent HPV infection, faster quicker disease progression, increased recurrence, and poorer outcomes. Modelling shows that vaccinating WLHIV aged 10–45 could reduce new cervical cancer cases by 4.7% overall and by 10% among WLHIV. [15]

The evidence is clear. Sexually active women over 15 still benefit from HPV vaccination, as they may not have been exposed to all high-risk HPV types. [16, 17] Catch-up vaccination, particularly when combined with screening, can substantially reduce future cancer incidence. Integrating HPV vaccination into HIV care, university health services, and workplace health programs offers practical, scalable pathways to reach this cohort. [18]

The socioeconomic case is clear. Women contribute an estimated 35–45% of GDP across the region. Preventing cervical cancer protects households, sustains productivity, and reduces catastrophic health expenditure. [19] Yet across the continent, adult women remain largely invisible in HPV prevention policies. This gap is not scientific. It is political.

Leadership, Systems, and Smarter Policy Choices
African governments are central to closing the HPV protection gap. While the number of countries delivering HPV vaccines has tripled since 2019 and coverage has doubled, the regional average remains just 52%, far below the 90% target. [20] Sustainable progress requires integrating HPV vaccines into routine immunization schedules, securing predictable domestic financing, and strengthening supply chains.

Kenya’s recent decision to introduce a single-dose HPV vaccine for girls shows how policy can adapt to improve efficiency and access. However, simplification alone will not address missed cohorts or limited population-level protection. Other countries in the region are also adapting policy to expand reach, with Botswana integrating higher-valency HPV vaccines within national prevention planning aligned with HIV care, and Eswatini expanding HPV vaccination in 2024 to include adolescent girls and young women living with HIV. [21, 22]

Adult vaccination pathways should be integrated into reproductive health services, alongside catch-up vaccination for older adolescents and women. Efforts should target cohorts missed by school-based programmes, including out-of-school girls and WLHIV – using multi-channel delivery platforms such as clinics, HIV programmes, mobile outreach, and innovative community-based models. [23]

As science evolves, policy must keep pace. Transitioning to nonavalent vaccines offers broader protection against high-risk HPV types and greater long-term impact in high-burden settings. [24] Procurement decisions should be driven by epidemiology, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, not short-term constraints.

The Role of Partnerships and Innovation
Industry, alongside governments and civil society, has a role to play in supporting national cervical cancer elimination goals.

Between 2021 and 2025, MSD supplied over 115 million HPV vaccine doses to low- and middle income countries, supported by a US$2 billion investment in manufacturing capacity. MSD has also reaffirmed its commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support sustainable HPV vaccine supply and equitable access across Sub-Saharan Africa.

These efforts support broader vaccination strategies, including protection of older cohorts and women living with HIV, and enable country transitions to higher-valency HPV vaccines – an important step toward averting millions of future cancer cases and deaths.

The Choice Africa Must Make
Africa cannot eliminate cervical cancer and all other HPV-related diseases by protecting adolescent girls alone. HPV does not respect age, gender, or delivery platforms, and elimination requires population-level protection. This means vaccinating girls, protecting boys, catching up women who were left behind, and building resilient systems that sustain coverage over time.

The tools exist. The evidence is overwhelming. What remains is the choice. If governments and partners act decisively now by expanding HPV vaccination beyond adolescent girls and investing in durable prevention systems, cervical cancer can become a disease of the past. Elimination is not a question of feasibility. It is a question of ambition, and the time to choose is now.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of MSD

References
[1]”HPV and Cancer,” National Cancer institute, May 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.cancer.gov/about cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-and cancer#:~:text=HPV%2Drelated research-,What is HPV (human papillomavirus)?,which c an cause breathing problems..

[2] “World Health Organization,” 5 March 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact sheets/detail/human-papilloma-virus-and cancer#:~:text=The highest prevalence of cervical,variable based on sexual trends .. [Accessed 11 November 2025].

[3] T. e. a. Dzinamarira, “Cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: an urgent call for improving accessibility and use of preventive services,” International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, vol. 33, no. 4, 2023.

[4] S. M. T. N. B. R. Liu G, “HIV-positive women have higher risk of human papilloma virus infection, precancerous lesions, and cervical cancer.,” AIDS, October 2018.

[5] K. M. K. S. Wilailak S, “Strategic approaches for global cervical cancer elimination: An update review and call for national action.,” Int J Gynaecol Obstet., 2025. [Online].

[6] IFPMA, “Rwandan HPV National Vaccination Program,” [Online]. Available: https://globalhealthprogress.org/collaboration/rwandan-hpv-national-vaccination-program/.

[7] G. K. M. J. Naidoo D, “Breaking barriers: why including boys and men is key to HPV prevention.,” BMC Med, 2024.

[8] T. B. M. C. C. J. A. K. K. &. K. S. K. Olesen, “Human papillomavirus prevalence among men in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.,” Sexually transmitted infections, 2014.

[9] P. JM., “Human papillomavirus-related disease in men: not just a women’s issue.,” J Adolesc Health, 2010.

[10] G. J. Scheepers VC, “Expanding the case for gender-neutral human papillomavirus vaccination in South Africa: Emerging neonatal and ethical considerations.,” Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med., 2025.

[11] E. I. Eric Asempah, “Accelerating HPV vaccination in Africa for health equity,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. PMID: 39294815, 2024.

[12] I. L. C. M. Sad SA, “Revisiting HPV vaccination post-COVID: geopolitical, sociocultural, and ethical disparities in global health,” Int J Equity Health., 2025.

[13] S. P. Castanon A, “Is the recent increase in cervical cancer in women aged 20-24years in England a cause for concern?,” Prev Med., 2018.

[14] “HIV Epidemiology in Sub-Saharan Africa,” UNAIDS., 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries.

[15] W. J. e. al., “Modelling the Impact of HPV Vaccination among Women Living with HIV.,” Lancet Global Health.

[16] X. M. N. P. P. F. D. M. J. A. K. L. J. M. E. M. S. B. O. M. B. J. V. S. H. R. M. &. S. A. Castellsagué, “End-of-study safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine in adult women 24- 45 years of age.,” British journal of cancer, 2011.

[17] “Human papillomavirus vaccination for adult women,” Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet, 2022.

[18] S. N. e. B. E. A.-D. Kimeshnee Govindsamy, “Effectiveness of integrating cervical cancer prevention strategies into HIV care programmes: A mixed-methods systematic review protocol,” PLOS One, 2024.

[19] “Economic Contribution of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa,” World Bank., 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/gender.

[20] A. Amani, “Scaling HPV vaccination in Africa to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030,” The lancet global health, vol. 13, no. 12, 2025.

[21] “HPV Vaccination Programme Outcomes,” Rwanda Ministry of Health. , 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.moh.gov.rw.

[22] “Immunization/HPV Programme information,” Eswatini Ministry of Health. , 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.gov.sz/index.php/ministries-departments/ministry-of-health.

[23] “Cervical Cancer Data Surveillance in Sub-Saharan Africa,” WHO & IARC, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://gco.iarc.fr/.

[24] V. V. C. H. e. a. Bobadilla ML, “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and Risk Behavior in Vaccinated and Non Vaccinated Paraguayan Young Women.,” Pathogens, 2024.

[25] T. G. e. al., “Implementing HPV Vaccination Services in People Living with HIV in Trinidad and Tobago: A Brief Report,” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers, 2025.

[26] G. M. E. Al., “Human papilloma virus vaccination in the resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and recommendations,” Vaccine X, vol. 20, 2024.

[27] “World Health Organization,” [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination initiative.

[28] b. G. A. a. J. R. c. L. A. M. A. A. R. G. L. E. M. N. B. M. T. Laia Bruni a, “Global and regional estimates of genital human papillomavirus prevalence among men: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” PMC PubMed Central, no. PMID: 37591583, 2023.

[29] Lyvio Lin, Liying (Annie) Liang, “World Bank,” November 2024. [Online]. Available: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/health/Preventing-cervical-cancer-in-Africa-Why-scaling-HPV-vaccination priority#:~:text=However%2C widespread use of the,of the 54 African countries..

[30] “World Health Organization (WHO) Afro,” 1 March 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.afro.who.int/news/africa-immunization-advisory-group-urges-single-dose-hpv-vaccine-adoption advance vaccination#:~:text=In an effort to accelerate,the global target of 90%25..

[31] e. a. Alison G Abraham, “Invasive cervical cancer risk among HIV-infected women: A North American multi-cohort collaboration prospective study,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e31828177d7, 2014.

[32] A. I. R. S. C.-U. Erna Milunka Kojic, “Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in HIV-infected Women: Need for Increased Coverage,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. doi: 10.1586/14760584.2016.1110025, 2016.

[33] M. Goretti, “Vellum,” 24 October 2025. [Online]. Available: https://vellum.co.ke/kenya-switches-to-single-dose hpv-vaccine-to-boost uptake/#:~:text=Kenya has taken a major,local scientists and international expert s.. [Accessed November 2025].

[34] W. H. Organization, “Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem,” WHO-Int, 2020.

[35] M. C. C. J. A. K. K. S. Olesen TB, “Human papillomavirus prevalence among men in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Sex Transm Infect, no. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051456, 2014.

[36] H. S. S. G. S. G. Soumendu Patra, “HPV and Male Cancer: Pathogenesis, Prevention and Impact,” Journal of Medicine in Africa (JOMA), vol. 2, no. 1, 2025.

[37] I. Z. E. Al., “Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Areas,” Ann Glob Health, 2023.

[38] L. B. E. Al., “Global and regional estimates of genital human papillomavirus prevalence among men: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Lancet Global Health, 2023.

The post Why Africa Cannot Eliminate Cervical Cancer Without Expanding HPV Vaccination Beyond Adolescent Girls  appeared first on African Media Agency.

Health

UNAids set to leave Malawi: Worries stakeholders

Jones Gadama

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAids) has announced its decision to leave Malawi and coordinate affairs from Zimbabwe, sparking concern among stakeholders in the HIV and Aids response.

The move is part of a broader transformation under the UN80 initiative, aimed at reforming the UN system.

According to UNAids Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, the decision follows a request from the UNAids Board proposing a new operating model for the organization.

While a small UNAids Secretariat presence will remain in Lilongwe, the bulk of technical and strategic leadership will be provided from Zimbabwe.

Byanyima assured that the UNAids Joint Programme will continue to support Malawi’s efforts to end Aids as a public health threat by 2030.

Concerns from stakeholders

Stakeholders, including the Civil Society Advocacy Forum (Csaf), have expressed deep concern over the recommendation.

Csaf chairperson Gift Trapence described the decision as “a devastating blow,” noting that UNAids has been central to Malawi’s progress toward the global 95-95-95 targets and the 2030 ambition of ending HIV as a public health threat.

Trapence emphasized that UNAids’ absence risks undoing the fragile progress made in Malawi’s HIV response.

Government response

The Malawi Government has increased domestic financing for HIV programming, according to Ministry of Health’s HIV and Viral Hepatitis Directorate deputy director Rabson Kachala.

However, government officials were not readily available for comment on the UNAids decision.

Impact on Malawi’s HIV response

Malawi’s fight against HIV and Aids has made significant progress in recent years, with the country achieving 95%, 91%, and 87% of the UNAids 95-95-95 target. Despite this progress, stakeholders warn that UNAids’ exit will have far-reaching consequences for HIV service delivery, community resilience, and human rights.

With over 1 million Malawians receiving life-saving antiretroviral treatment, the country’s HIV response remains a critical concern.

As Malawi navigates this new development, stakeholders are urging the government and international partners to work closely together to ensure a smooth transition and maintain the gains made in the country’s HIV response.

Health

HIV crisis looms as U.S. cuts health aid, warns UNAIDS

Burnett Munthali

By Burnett Munthali

The United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has issued a warning about the potential increase in HIV infections and related deaths due to a halt in health aid funding.

According to UNAIDS, there is a possibility that 2,000 people worldwide could contract the HIV virus as a result of the funding withdrawal.

The organization further estimates that over six million people may die in the next four years due to the lack of health support.

This alarming prediction follows the decision by the United States of America (USA) to suspend its contributions to global health aid.

The withdrawal of financial assistance is expected to have a devastating impact on HIV prevention, treatment, and care programs worldwide.

Many developing countries that rely on U.S. aid for antiretroviral drugs, healthcare services, and awareness campaigns will be particularly affected.

UNAIDS has emphasized that without immediate intervention, the progress made in the fight against HIV and AIDS could be significantly reversed.

Public health experts warn that the reduction in funding will lead to treatment disruptions, increased transmission rates, and preventable deaths.

HIV activists and healthcare organizations across the globe are calling for urgent action to address the crisis.

Several international bodies have urged the U.S. government to reconsider its decision, stressing that millions of lives are at stake.

The funding cut also raises concerns about the broader impact on global health initiatives, as other infectious diseases could spread more rapidly in the absence of adequate support.

UNAIDS has called for alternative sources of funding to ensure that vulnerable populations continue to receive essential HIV services.

As the crisis unfolds, affected communities are bracing for the long-term consequences of the funding gap.

The global health community is now faced with the challenge of mobilizing resources to prevent a potential humanitarian disaster.

The world watches closely as efforts to mitigate the impact of this decision take shape, with hopes that urgent interventions will be implemented to save lives.

Opinion

United Nations gets a taste of Mutharika’s hypocrisy and arrogance

Patseni Mauka

Timothy Mtambo (in white): his organization (CHRR) accuses religious leaders of double standards and vows to nme and shamen them in public

The culture of hypocrisy and arrogance that has been one of the trademarks of Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) manifested itself on the international scene when the caretaker government refused to meet UN Assistant Secretary General Dr. Shannon Hader. The Representation of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) requested meetings between Dr Hader and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as well as Homeland Security.

However in a Note No. 272/19 to the Representation of UNAIDS in Malawi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that the Ministers were ‘not available’ for the meetings on the proposed dates. This was an open rebuff to the UN.

UNAIDS requested for the meeting after Malawi Police arrested human rights activists Gift Trapence, vice-chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC and McDonald Sembereka for alleged fraud involving 7.4 million Kwacha.The two are some of the main organizers of the recent demonstrations against the outcome of the May 21 Tripartite Elections and it’s obvious that they are a target of intimidation.

According to the Nation Newspaper, Fiscal Police arrested the two following a complaint from UNAIDS which funded the Mango Network, a local NGO working on LGBTI issues. Trapence and Sembereka were charged with fraud related to alleged abuse of donor funds.

The UNAIDS which was reportedly the donor for a project the pair is accused of misappropriating funds from, called for their immediate release. In a press release dated 10 July 2019—UNAIDS said, “UNAIDS regrets unnecessarily involving the authorities in Malawi in its outstanding issue with the Mango Network. UNAIDS and MANGO Network have amicably reached a resolution over the issue.”

The press release further said, “ UNAIDS has not engaged in any legal action and believes there is no need for any legal action. UNAIDS respectfully requests the immediate release of the two members of the Mango Network, Mr Gift Trapence and Mr Macdonald Sembereka, from police custody.”

While I am against any financial mismanagement in both government and NGOs, I am equally against hypocrisy. It seems there are rules for those supporting government and separate rules for those opposing government. Other citizens with serious allegations are not even investigated at all.

For instance, on July 20, 2019, just ten days after The Nation reported on the arrests of the two activists, the paper reported that the First Lady’s charity has gone into business, leasing out donated trucks to Blantyre City Council (BCC) in a deal that appears to have violated procurement rules.

The paper reported that Beautify Malawi (Beam), a charity founded by Gertrude Mutharika, wife of President Peter Mutharika, received the trucks as a donation from the government of the People’s Republic of China in May 2016. However, they were leased to the council as refuse collection vehicles a year later. In 2017, the council paid K22 million to Beam and owes it millions of Kwachas for the years 2018 and 2019.

This is not an isolated case of abuse of public institutions by the First Lady. According to The Nation newspaper, in November, 2014 Madame Mutharika personally wrote a letter to NAC alongside, National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and Mulhako wa Alomwe asking for funds that had nothing to do with Aids activities. Mutharika asked for K5 million for her Beam Trust, NIB asked for K43 million while Mulhako wa Alomwe was given K9 million.

The paper further reported that these donations came against the background of NAC announcing that it would scale down its funding mechanisms in HIV and Aids due to funding. Civil Society Organization (CSOs) tried to force the first lady to return the money but she refused.

Again today, the same paper has reported that the First Lady has drained 30 million Kwacha of tax payers money on a ten day private trip to the United Kingdom for a graduation ceremony of her son. This is clear abuse of public funds which under normal circumstances would be investigated. But these are the people who decide who can be arrested or not.

The first lady has become so powerful that government departments can’t offer contracts to any company before her verbal approval. All big contracts are now given to companies related to her or those that have made deals with her. She has become stinking rich although she has no salary or any business that could make her so rich.

Among other things, she is now building flats in Lilongwe full with a tarmac road specially built for her flats. She uses her position as first lady to get money using questionable means. She is untouchable. The vigour used to arrest opposition sympathizers and activists can’t be used to investigate her clear abuse of public funds. It’s hypocrisy of the highest order. The UN has just witnessed it first hand

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the Publisher or the Editor of Maravi Post

Human Rights, Regional

The UN turns 72, is the world a better peaceful place?

Janet Karim

“The U.N. is like your conscience. It can’t make you do the right thing, but it can help you make the right decision.” –Margaret Huang, the interim executive director of Amnesty International U.S.A.

During a conference held in San Francisco in June 1945, hosted by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the United Nations Charter was signed in a chorus of support led by four countries: Britain, China, the Soviet Union, and the United States. When the Charter went into effect on October 24 of that year, a global war had just ended. At that time, much of Africa and Asia were still ruled by colonial powers.

The brainchild of 50 countries, the organization has grown to 193 and growing. It has grown not only in numbers but physically, that is in the infrastructure: The General Assembly had 50-member states, today it has 193 plus two observers, and space for more.

After 72 years, as the commemoration music lingers, there are skeptics from many sides, about the relevance of this giant elephant in the room. Established with the promise to make the world a better and peaceful place. Is the world a more peaceful and better place? Has the UN lived up to its promise? Or is it a total and disastrously big failure full of empty go-no-where meetings?

Absolutely not, the UN is not a total and disastrously big failure full of empty go-no-where meetings. The United Nations is a very respected global forum of equals (envisaged and crafted into the principles of the organization, complete with regional representation). Additionally, the world a more peaceful and better place, making true the assertion that the UN lived up to its promise.

It was my great privilege to work with this mammoth organization for 10 years. My first assignment was at field level at UNDP Malawi where I served as communications officer; and then as a diplomat for 8 years representing Malawi in social development, human rights, elections officer, editor of social media, magazine and TV channel, and diplomatic relations coordination.

There are many wars around the world, causing the UN to orchestrate a cotely of peace-keeping missions. However, with the ideals of human rights wrapped with the 1948 Human Rights Charter, the world walks on egg shells and countries are called out through the UN’s Human Rights Commission.

As Malawi’s social development expert at the Malawi Mission, it was an honor to be among diplomats from like-minded member states that led to the establishing of the UN gender entity for equality and economic empowerment of women, also known as UN Women. The presence of UN Women in Malawi greatly fuels women equality and empowerment projects including immunization of under-five babies, ending child marriage, education for all, especially of girls, voicing outrage against women and children, human rights, and protection of refugees among others.

Getting back to the global organization: The United Nations, to quote former Malawi Ambassador Rubadri (one of the first five ambassadors in 1964 – Mangwazu, Mbekeani, Rubadri, Gondwe, and Katenga), the UN can be likened to a club. The member states pay into its pool of funds; it established development agencies such as UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, WHO, WFP, UNEP, UNAIDS, and many others. These enable the UN fulfil its operative mandate at country and regional levels, while headquarters performs the normative one.

What is remarkable and has worked like the plum line, every September, the world leaders meet as the General Assembly, and speak on chosen themes, mapping out their country’s stand on national, regional and global issues. This is followed by committee work leading to resolutions. It is these resolutions, negotiated by delegates from all 193-member states, that are sent to countries like Malawi for localization and implementation.

The UN is home of the Security Council with a 15-member elected group of member states. The group however, has five permanent member states (China, France, Russia, UK and USA), who have a veto power that gives them more power than the other states present on the Council. Tis veto power paralyses the Council giving power to one member, state against the other members. The working of the Council is different from the General Assembly that works either on simple majority of sometimes two thirds.

The UN is a global “government,” and like national governments, it is the biggest employer in the world employment stage, with member states enabling their nationals through direct appointment (many doing this through funding projects) or elections and other indirect.

The employment of nationals from member states, gives credibility as a global entity. It is the nationals from around the world. The UN is genuinely a world organization – from gate security officers, sweepers, cashiers, clerks, journalists, directors up to other senior officials are employed from around the world.

Going forward, the new UN Secretary General, António Guterres has major challenges as the New York Times wonders whether its influence diminishes or grows. As a global organization, it is firmly etched into the world tapestry and has enormous achievements.

Happy 72 Birthday UN!

Health

Mutharika touts Malawi progress on fast-track initiative ending HIV by 2030

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

World leaders including six African presidents, on Thursday demonstrated how the Fast Track approach to ending AIDS is working and registering positive impact on the health systems in most countries.

Fast Track is a strategy that the world adopted to end AIDS through treatment, reduction of new infection, and elimination of discrimination.

A high-level side event called Fast Track: Quickening the pace of action to end aids took place at UN Headquarters in New York and saw the leaders telling success stories that were largely attributed to the initiative. Continue reading Mutharika touts Malawi progress on fast-track initiative ending HIV by 2030 →

SADC

SADC to Declare a Regional Disaster and Launch a Regional Humanitarian Appeal for Millions hit by El Niño-induced Drought

MaraviPost

The Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community(SADC) Lt. General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana will
declare a Regional Disaster and launch a Regional Appeal for Humanitarian and Recovery Support amounting to US$2.7 billion. Continue reading SADC to Declare a Regional Disaster and Launch a Regional Humanitarian Appeal for Millions hit by El Niño-induced Drought →