Staff Writer
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 5 October 2026 commenced a five-day joint meeting of HIV and health financing technical experts, National AIDS Council (NAC) directors and the Steering Committee of the SADC HIV and AIDS Special Fund in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The meeting, convened by the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with United Nations institutions in East and Southern Africa, was held under the theme, “Accelerating HIV Prevention, Financing and Advancing Commodity Security for the HIV Response.”
It brought together representatives from Member States, HIV technical experts, health financing focal persons, NAC directors, civil society organisations, youth representatives, people living with HIV and cooperating partners.
The meeting took place as the region sought to consolidate gains made in the HIV response while addressing persistent prevention gaps and challenges linked to the changing global health financing environment.
According to SADC, the region had recorded a 57 percent reduction in new HIV infections, while seven Member States — Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — had achieved the UNAIDS 95–95–95 targets.
The five-day meeting provided a platform for Member States and partners to assess progress, share experiences and strengthen strategies aimed at accelerating HIV prevention and improving the sustainability of the regional HIV response.
Discussions focused on health financing, commodity security and approaches to maintaining access to essential HIV commodities amid changes in the international financing landscape.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, domestic financing and sustained investment in HIV prevention as SADC countries sought to protect the gains made in the regional HIV response.
The meeting was scheduled to run until 9 October 2026.