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| Mutharika with Beagle |
The Malawi President, Peter Mutharika on Tuesday said close collaboration between Government and the UNAIDS is propelling the country to continue registering tremendous success in the fight against HIV and AIDS and committed to end HIV by 2030 if working partnership continues with a clear and focused vision, and human-rights centred approach.
Mutharika was speaking at Kamuzu Palace in the Capital City, Lilongwe during his meeting with the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Ms Jan Beagle.
“To me and my government, UNAIDS is a distinguished leader in the global HIV and AIDS response, and our close collaboration has borne positive results for global health and development” said President Mutharika
With UNAIDS support, Mutharika said Malawi has gained its global reputation in the scaling up HIV treatment program considerably and pioneer the “Option B+” program. He indicated that coverage for HIV treatment has increased by 82 percent since 2011 as the country has now over 600,000 people on Anti-retroviral therapy.
“Indeed, more than half of the estimated 1.1 million Malawians living with HIV are on treatment. Perhaps, one of our most notable achievements, is that Malawi has achieved a 67 percent decline in Mother-to-Child infections. This is the highest decline achieved for all the 22 high priority countries in the world, as you may be aware.
New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have also fallen rapidly. These are significant achievements.” He said
He therefore thanked UNAIDS for providing technical assistance to Malawi Government on the development of the Global Fund proposal as well as the development of Malawi’s new National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS and Malawi’s Prevention Strategy which earned Malawi the first country in the world to embrace the UNAIDS targets of 90.90.90.
Malawi leader further expressed thanks for technical and financial assistance together with UNFPA and UNICEF, rendered to the First Lady’s’ program which includes children and young women and girls in the HIV response, and address cervical cancer.
“UNAIDS is working at all levels of government and society to support my Government to inspire Malawians about the fact that it is possible to end AIDS. This is in tandem with my government’s ideal for a people-centred government.” Added Mutharika
While reaffirming his commitment to strengthening efforts towards universal treatment eligibility in April this year, the Malawi leader also committed that the country will compliment support getting from donors by making a domestic contribution of $8.5 million to procure ARVs for the period 2015 to 2017 as one way of addressing HIV and AIDS in the country.
“These are hard earned resources and I am making demonstrable efforts to ensure they are managed in a transparent and accountable manner.” Said President Mutharika
He also expressed his commitment to continue mobilize and encourage young people to adopt responsible behaviour in preventing and managing HIV after a year since he signed the global Heads of State football to pledge his support for the “Protect the Goal” Campaign.
In her remarks, the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Jan Beagle said international community admires and respect Malawi Government for scaling up efforts on prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child by being the first country to adopt the Option B+ (a new guideline on the use of Antiretroviral Treatment (ART).
She agreed with President Mutharika that the HIV Programme that Malawi is pioneering on putting HIV positive pregnant and lactating women on life-long ARV to prevent infections among children and to keep children alive, has indeed helped the country to achieve highest decline of new HIV infections in babies among the 22 high burden countries globally.
Beagle said significant strides like drastic reduction in HIV related deaths including placing HIV issues into the National Strategic Plan have accorded the country to a status of a role model in the fight against HIV globally.
“These achievements are not only significant to Malawi but also a signal to other countries to follow the same” she added
While encouraging the country to continue using HIV resources and invest wisely to achieve results, Beagle has commended Malawi for showing commitment to “invest HIV resources wisely” and that the recent largest per capita allocation from Global Fund affirms international admiration for Malawi’s commitment on this course.
But she urged Malawi to keep HIV on agenda and integration of HIV issues by looking at other diseases like cervical cancer.
Later, Ms Beagle also met with the First Lady, Madame Gertrude Mutharika who is also the Vice President for Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), who expressed her appreciation on number of areas that UNAIDS is supporting her.
“I am thankful for the support rendered in the implementation of activities for the OAFLA work plan. Through your support, I have mobilized resources for Point of Care Machines for Early Infant Diagnosis and dual HIV and syphilis test kits” she said and further mention the launching of a stop cervical cancer campaign as some of activities carried out with UNAIDS support.
She further informed the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Beagle that OAFLA Malawi is keen to address HIV and AIDS among children in line with the goals of the Global Plan, address HIV among young people and to eliminate Cervical Cancer
Madame Mutharika also assured UNAIDS that as OAFLA and as the country they have embraced the agenda to Fast- Track AIDS response and she is personally committed to meaningful change.
“I have no doubt in my mind that together we can leave the legacy for future where AIDS is no longer a public threat” added Madame Mutharika
The UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Jan Beagle is in the country for an important visit pertaining to the HIV and AIDS response in Malawi.
Ms Beagle is expected to meet various stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS response including the Civil Society.
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