BY ERIC MSIKITI IN AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS:
The parliamentary committee on HIV/ Aids and Nutrition has called for more inclusiveness in the fight against HIV and Aids in the country.
Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/Aids and Nutrition, Deus Gumba, made the call on the sidelines of the 2018 International Aids conference underway in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Gumba’s call comes at a time local civil society organisations have said Malawi is on course to eliminating Aids by 2030.
But Gumba said in an interview that it would be difficult for Malawi to achieve this and other dreams by 2030 if some sectors of society— notably the youth and sexual minorities— are left behind in the response plan.
“We, as a country, have made remarkable progress in the fight against the pandemic, one of which is the passing of the HIV/ Aids Management Act by Parliament.
“However, it must be noted that we cannot talk of ending Aids by 2030 if some pockets of society are left behind,” Gumba said.
Gumba also described the passing of the HIV/ Aids Management Act in November 2017 as a milestone in the fight against HIV and Aids.
“But, as we move forward, we should make amendments here and there so that everyone is not left behind in the national response,” he said.
Speaking later, principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Population Services, Dan Namarika, maintained that Malawi’s healthcare service delivery system is non-discriminatory.
He, however, said the government continues to face trouble in terms of reaching the country’s young population with HIV-related services.
He said the population of people aged between 15 and 45 years is proving hard to reach out to, further lamenting that some organisations are not willing to invest in interventions aimed at influencing behaviour change.
But Namarika said things are working well in other areas.
“Malawi is already providing non-discriminatory healthcare to all people in all our facilities. Yes, the ministry has to operate under existing national laws but, in terms of the Hypocritical Oath, we do not segregate based on race, sex or gender,” Namarika said.
During the official opening of the Aids conference, the government of the Netherlands announced a 10 million euro commitment towards inclusive approaches to the fight against HIV and Aids across the world.
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