UNAIDS: Rising debt in sub-Saharan Africa is costing lives
The report details how this debt crisis is jeopardizing progress in ending AIDS in sub-Saharan African countries, which account for the majority of people living with HIV globally – 25.9 million people out of a total of nearly 40 million people.
If debt servicing and tight budgets are not addressed within the next three to five years, countries will “lack the resources to finance their HIV response,” the UN agency said in a report.
Further data shows that “the region’s success in reducing new HIV infections by 56% since 2010 will not be sustained if fiscal space is limited.”
National debt servicing now exceeds half of government revenue in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
UNAIDS said that even after debt relief measures, Zambia will still deal with more than two-thirds of its budget to repay debt in the period 2024-2026.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said that “public debt needs to be urgently reduce and strengthen domestic resource mobilization to create sufficient financial space to fully finance the global HIV response and end AIDS“ .
Debt Service
Ms. Byanyima noted that global health security would be threatened when countries were unable to meet their health care needs due to debt servicing.
This has been demonstrated in West and Central Africa as there has been a Significant reduction in HIV response spending since 2017.
A report based on the report reveals that West and Central Africa will need to mobilize $4.18 billion to fully fund its HIV response by 2024.This figure will rise to $7.9 billion by 2030 unless efforts are stepped up today. to prevent new HIV infections.”
It is noted that $20.8 billion has been allocated for the HIV response by 2022 in low- and middle-income countries through various contributions, but this is insufficient to effectively finance the HIV response.
To fully meet HIV needs by 2024, Eastern and Southern Africa will need $12 billion, a figure that will rise to $17 billion by 2030 unless new HIV infections decline.
Necessary measures
Sub-Saharan African countries need to strengthen their tax systems and increase fiscal contributions to mobilize more domestic resources to effectively respond to their “epidemic,” a UNAIDS report said.
“World leaders cannot allow a lack of resources to derail global progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Ms. Byanyima.
Young activists head to New York
Young people are playing an active role in driving progress in the response to HIV, says UNAIDS chief.
UNAIDS has partnered with two social media influencers living with HIV from Kenya and South Africa to attend Summit of the Future and the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York to call on leaders to invest in health systems and services that support young people living with HIV.
Jerop Limo, a young Kenyan HIV activist, said, “I want leaders to leave New York with the understanding that we are not beneficiaries, we are equals.“ .
“We want meaningful and ethical engagement of adolescents and young people in all aspects of the AIDS response,” she continued.
South African lawyer Ibanomonde Ngema says meetings will not be enough to end AIDS – solutions need to be found.
Young people living with HIV play a vital role in the fight against AIDS in their communities.
Bring us into the conversation
“The world can only benefit when young people are included in the global HIV response,” said Ms Ngema.No discussion about HIV happens without us, from policy to community practice.“ .
As young people living with HIV also face stigma and discrimination, including from doctors, they will lobby world leaders at the General Assembly to “protect the human rights of young people as key to ending AIDS as a public health threat”.
