The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAids) has reversed its decision to leave Malawi and coordinate affairs from Zimbabwe.
The development has since brought excitement among stakeholders in the HIV and Aids response as the decision was viewed by stakeholders as a threat to the push against the pandemic with far-reaching implications for public health, community systems and human rights.
But in a recent communication to the Malawi Government, UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima addressed her organisation’s ongoing transformation and announced the reversal of the decision.
She said: “Following further reflection and in recognition of the strong and unwavering commitment demonstrated by the Government of Malawi, we wish to reverse the earlier decision to close the UNAids Country Office in Malawi and intend to maintain the office in Lilongwe.
“We are deeply grateful for the Government of Malawi’s commitment to ending Aids as a public health threat by 2030 and your recognition of UNAids as a vital and trusted partner in this shared ambition.”
Byanyima also said UNAids was looking forward to continuing its close collaboration and to building on the momentum towards a future free of Aids.
Meanwhile, the move has excited the Civil Society Advocacy Forum (Csaf), a network of registered organisations working on issues related to HIV and Aids, tuberculosis, sexual and reproductive health rights and other related conditions.
Csaf chairperson Gift Trapence said they are happy that UNAids Malawi offices are not closing.
“Our call is that the financial and human resources should not be reduced to sustain the technical support and financial support that Malawi HIV response has always enjoyed and also sustain the achievement Malawi has had in the fight against HIV,” he said.
Trapence said for nearly 30 years, UNAids has been a cornerstone of Malawi’s HIV response, directly contributing to the progress Malawi has made towards achieving the 95-95-95 targets and ending Aids by 2030.
Speaking during a media training in Mponela, Dowa recently, Ministry of Health HIV and Viral Hepatitis Directorate deputy director Rabson Kachala said government has increased domestic financing for HIV programming.
UNAids provides strategic direction, advocacy, coordination and technical support needed to catalyse and connect leadership from governments, the private sector and communities to deliver life-saving HIV services.
