Partnership Forum to fight Aids, TB and Malaria, ICC, Durban
2 July 2006
His Majesty, Isilo sa Mabandla,
Honourable Ministers from other countries
Global Fund Board Members and Secretariat
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning
Thanks to the Global Fund for choosing Durban
It gives me great pleasure to address you this morning during the opening of
this Partnership Forum. We are indeed honoured by the Global Fund choosing
Durban in South Africa for its venue for the Partnership Forum. We hope that we
will meet all you expectations. If the Gala Event of last night is anything to
go by, we are confident that we will meet your needs and expectations. I would
hope that some of you, especially those who are visiting South Africa for the
very first time, will find time also to visit our country, and in particular,
this province, which has warm weather in winter and is rich with the history of
our country.
The Global Fund
The nations, in particular, in the developing world, are proud of the Global
Fund, as a mechanism to fund the fight against HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis (TB)
and malaria, because we believe that these three diseases have a negative
impact on the social and economic growth potential of our countries. Therefore,
we appreciate the fact that the Global Fund is succeeding in channelling the
energy of the whole world in focusing on fighting these diseases - hence the
theme of this forum, which is - CELEBRATING SUCCESSES AND OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES.
I will not go into the successes of the Global Fund because the
Vice-Chairperson of the Board, Dr Lieve Fransen, and the Executive Director,
Prof Richard Feacham, ably articulated themselves on this subject last night. A
challenge that remains for us is to ensure that the Fund is sustainable and
predictable, over the longer term, in order to ensure that we are successful in
fighting these diseases.
Sustainability and predictability of funding
It is therefore welcome that this Partnership Forum will immediately be
followed by the Replenishment Meeting, which will address the challenges of the
sustainability and predictability of the funding of the Global Fund. This is
essential if we are to fund Round 6 and fund at least one Round every year. I
would also hope that this Partnership Forum meeting will assist to advise the
Policy and Strategy Committee on what should happen beyond Phase 2, and whether
the developing countries are now ready to take over some of the funding for the
prevention and treatment programmes that have been funded by the Global Fund
over the years.
This is one of the reasons that we have been advocating for investment also
in the strengthening of health systems, because this is a sustainable public
health approach for propping up the fight against specific diseases such as HIV
and AIDS, TB and malaria, in a sustainable manner.
What South Africa is doing?
HIV and AIDS
We, in South Africa, believe in a comprehensive approach in managing the
three diseases, HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. We have developed a strategy and
a comprehensive plan for the prevention, care, management and treatment of HIV
and AIDS. We have been informed that South Africa has one of the biggest and
most comprehensive plan for fighting HIV and AIDS. We are now working towards
integrating the activities of government, the private sector and civil society,
to ensure that all our efforts have a synergistic effect. As a society in
epidemiological transition, we are looking into the broad spectrum of
communicable and non-communicable diseases, with a view to boost the immune
state of our people. In line with the Alma Ata Declaration, we are also engaged
in an exercise to define realistic targets for our country, which will make
sure that we will reach universal access to primary healthcare, as well as
access to services for HIV and AIDS. By the end of this year, South Africa will
review its strategic plan, its targets and also its partnerships and
co-ordinating mechanisms - to sharpen the response to HIV and AIDS, TB and
malaria.
Tuberculosis
We, as South Africans, are not proud of our response to tuberculosis. The
fact that our country ranks among the top ten countries that are affected by
tuberculosis is not something that can make us proud.
We have a broad spectrum of TB Cure Rates throughout the country and we are
a long distance from the smear conversion rate of 85% - as defined by the World
Health Organisation.
Consequently, we have developed a TB Crisis Plan, to improve the prevention,
care, treatment and management of tuberculosis, focusing on the four districts
that are worst hit by tuberculosis, and Durban is one of them.
Malaria
While we believe in the routine prevention, care, treatment and management
of malaria, we, as South Africa, strongly believe also in the indoor residual
spraying with DDT. This is not an ideological approach, but we have seen the
massive reduction in malaria cases, due to the indoor residual spraying with
DDT, especially in the northern parts of our country, and in collaboration with
our bordering neighbours, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. We think that the
fight against malaria can be won by all nations, by also destroying the
mosquitoes that cause the disease, which many developed countries did.
Overview of South Africa
Programme Director, Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope I have given you a brief
overview of what we are doing as South Africa in the fight against the three
diseases. By so doing, I was also trying to pledge solidarity with you, and to
show you that we are faced with the same burden of disease as you are, but like
you, we have not given up on the fight, and we believe that the Global Fund can
help all of us.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Programme Director, I hope that the Partnership Forum can
advise the Global Fund on the following:
a. The sustainability and predictability of the financial resources for the
Global Fund;
b. The long term future of the Global Fund and the country ownership of the
Global Fund initiatives, especially beyond Phase 2 - after the first five years
of funding of projects;
c. How can we make the country coordinating mechanisms work efficiently and
effectively in countries, and how should these structures be integrated with
AIDS Councils, without weighing heavily on the country's institutional
framework.
Final Message
Finally, I wish you a lovely stay in Durban, in the province of
KwaZulu-Natal and in South Africa. I wish you safety and personal security in
my city of birth, and may you have robust and fruitful deliberations during
this Partnership Forum.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Health
2 July 2006
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
