Highlights from the UNAids and Lancet Commission

I did not attend the first UNAids and Lancet Commission meeting themed From Aids to Sustainable Health which took place in Lilongwe from June 28 to 29. But it would be remiss of me if I did not at least discuss some of the key issues that were discussed. These I have taken mainly from stories on the internet. I would love to hear any stories or comments from anyone who attended.

The issues that were discussed were not the typical fare you would have at most Aids conference which focus on health research rather the focus was on the lessons learnt from Aids management that can be leveraged for sustainable health; hence the diversity in delegates which included political leaders, pharmaceutical company executives, activists, doctors and grassroots organisations.

If you think about some of the huge barriers that have been overcome in response to Aids such as improved access to drugs, this mammoth task required in recruitment and training of hundreds of health professionals, improvements in distribution of drugs, supply of medical equipment, negotiations with pharmaceutical companies on drug prices —this happened not just in Malawi but in a number of countries around the world. These achievements can be leveraged to develop a post-2015 plan to address Aids.

The three main issues that were discussed at the conference were financing health from both local and international funding sources, trade, innovation and commodity security such as drug prices and the democratisation of global health. Democratisation of global health is terminology coming out of a World Health Organisation reform meeting in 2011. Democracy, a very loaded word, relies on the principles of equality and popular control of collective decision-making. Democracy and health is linked to human rights, community participation, cost effectiveness, equal access, health delivery systems and sustainability.

The Aids response, truly is a global movement that has brought a number of organisations together from pharmaceuticals to grass roots organisations to lobbyist to government. The Aids response has drawn attention to a number of issues: gender inequality, violence against women, social and cultural issues – to name a few. However, the financial landscape of Aids programme funding is rapidly deteriorating and new approaches are needed.  In the words of Dr Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Commission Co-chair, “Sustaining and expanding the progress made in the Aids response will require new implementation and political strategies, countering complacency, and continuous investment in research and innovation.”