The PEPFAR/Eswatini (PEPFAR/E) COP23 vision centers around evolving service delivery support to close gaps to 95-95-95 in sub-populations and increase the sustainability of the National response while strengthening health systems and facilitating an enabling environment to increase domestic responsibility and maintain HIV epidemic control.

Although great strides have been made in tackling HIV in recent years, Africa remains the continent most affected by HIV and progress towards ending AIDS is stalling. The COVID-19 pandemic, global inflation, growing debt levels, and a retreat from overseas development assistance by some donors are hampering Africa’s efforts to ramp up national HIV responses and are jeopardizing broader outcomes for health, social development and economic growth.

SIBANE HOTEL - This week, the SADC LUCT HIV Prevention Project for the youth, dubbed THPPY, received a special visit from its counterparts from Botswana. This follows a recommendation by the National AIDS Councils of the 3 countries where the project is being implemented (Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini). The THPPY is an initiative aimed at increasing HIV knowledge on social and digital media, targeted at the youth.

The past two months have been quite eventful for the National HIV and AIDS Response, as it saw the major launch of a MEN ENGAGE Campaign by 2 critical sectors, being the private and public sector. The campaign theme is; Ngingubabe ngiyisukumele imphilo yami which seeks to encourage men to stand up for their health so they live longer, healthy and productive lives.

Today we have a motivational piece from Fiji, told from the perspective of a person living with HIV. We hope this testimonial will change the way we view HIV and be encouraged to live positively with HIV and bring about change in the communities we live in. We bring you the story of Jokapeci Cati who is the Program Manager and founder of the Fiji Network for Positive People (FNP+). This is her self-told story of how she became the first person living openly with HIV in Fiji.

2023 theme is, “Save lives: Decriminalise”.  UNAIDS is highlighting how the decriminalisation of key populations and people living with HIV saves lives and helps advance the end of the AIDS pandemic.

The words people use to talk about HIV affect the way people living with HIV feel about themselves. These words also have an impact on how others view people living with HIV.

New platform launched on ending HIV-related stigma and discrimination Despite decades of advances in prevention and treatment, stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV and key populations are a persistent barrier to addressing the epidemic.

By the time kids reach 3rd grade, research shows that as many as 93% have already heard about HIV and AIDS Following the recent celebration of International Youth Day on 12th August 2022, where we spoke about the youth and HIV, more parents shared how they were having it tough speaking to their kids about HIV. Today we seek to help parents initiate conversations with their kids about HIV, without making it a scary subject.

……HIV Prevention services have also aligned themselves to traditional ceremonies After two years of the absence and/or scaling down of the annual Umhlanga Reed dance ceremony, this year spirits are very high among the Imbali regiment as the ceremony is back with full attendance.