Under the leadership of the COMESA Gender and Social Affairs Division , a multisectoral HIV and AIDS planning meeting was held last week (29-30 January 2010) at Chaminuka, 40 kms North East of Lusaka Zambia. The purpose of the meeting was to come up with a Regional Strategy to combat HIV and AIDS .

The meeting was attended by members of the COMESA Secretariat technical working group on HIV and AIDS, and other stakeholders which included the National HIV and AIDS Council of Zambia, World Vision, Zambia, Crossborder Traders Association and International Organisation on Migration Pretoria office, just to mention a few. The meeting reviewed and considered the draft report and framework which were produced by a Consultant. Participants made very valuable inputs into the documents. The outcome of the meeting was a preliminary draft Strategic Framework of COMESA Multisectoral Programme on HIV and AIDS.

Senior Advisor, AIDS, Leadership and Human Rights Dr Michael Tawanda represented the Swedish-Norwegian Regional HIV and AIDS Team for Africa, , He was accompanied by Mr Jens Karberg who is COMESA Desk Officer in the Regional Team The Regional HIV an AIDS Team for Africa from the Swedish Embassy, who is funding the planning meeting, commended COMESA for taking this initiative to join other players in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the region. The Team disclosed that they were financing the SADC and EAC HIV and AIDS programme as well, after funding their respective planning meetings to produce their strategic framework on the pandemic. COMESA will under the spirit of COMESA-EAC-SADC framework hold consultations with the other two Regional Grouping , SADC and EAC , before finalizing the Strategic Framework.

The Senior Advisor, Swedish-Norwegian Regional HIV/AIDS Team for Africa Regional Director for Africa Government, Dr. Michael Tawanda emphasised that the HIV and AIDS Multisectoral programme was quite an important initiative which the Swedish and Norwegian government was interested in funding as it is a regional initiative. Noting that the operational work of all Regional Economic Groupings involves inter-governmental efforts that lead to promoting free movement of goods and services, and these inevitably contribute the spread of HIV/AIDS. He said that therefore, it is important to create trans-boundary collaboration to address such health problems.

He further added Swedish-Norwegian fund utilises such entities as the Multisectoral-programmes to promote adherence to commitments that organizations have made towards the eradication of the HIV/AIDS. He appealed to COMESA to use the influence that it has as a regional body to get member States to oblige to such commitments. He said that the funding of the Multisectoral Programme was a momentary and preliminary funding, that might transform into additional funding depending on the outcome of the development of Multisectoral Programme.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary General Mrs Emiliana Tembo, COMESA Director of Gender and Social Affairs thanked the Regional Team on HIV and AIDS for Africa from the Swedish Embassy in Lusaka for having great faith in COMESA by entrusting it with great resources to develop the Programme that could help to reduce the HIV infections within the COMESA region and Africa as a whole. “We are grateful that you have embraced the task to save lives and hence contribute to the economic development of this region, by tackling the problem of HIV and AIDS. It is our sincere hope that this partnership that we have established with you as a team will last for a long time to the benefit of the communities in COMESA Region’ said Mrs Tembo.

She informed the participants that the main objective of the Programme is to facilitate the mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS in COMESA Programmes; and to contribute towards the reduction of HIV transmission and prevalence in the COMESA Region.