Fifty-fourth session Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 30 August–3 September 2004
AFR/RC54/R5 2 September 2004 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENT FOR HIV/AIDS IN THE AFRICAN REGION: THE 3 BY 5 INITIATIVE AND BEYOND (document AFR/RC54/14 Rev.1) The Regional Committee, Bearing in mind that HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of mortality in the African Region, disproportionately affecting young people and women, thwarting development and jeopardizing national security in Member States; Noting that each year, more than 2 million people lose their lives to HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to lack of access to antiretroviral therapy; Concerned that out of 4 million people in immediate need of antiretroviral therapy in Africa, only an estimated 100,000, mainly urban dwellers who are able to pay, had access to ART by the end of 2003; Recognizing that the provision of treatment in most Member States has been limited mainly due to the high cost of drugs and weak health systems including inadequate human resources; Further recognizing that antiretroviral therapy contributes to prevention which remains the cornerstone of attempts to control HIV/AIDS in the Region; Recalling the commitment made by Member States in the Abuja, Maseru and Maputo declarations and frameworks for action to intensify HIV/AIDS prevention and expand access to treatment; Acknowledging the progress made by Member States in scaling up treatment for HIV/AIDS; 1. APPROVES the document entitled “Improving access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS in the African Region: The 3 by 5 Initiative and beyond” (AFR/RC54/14 Rev.1); 2. WELCOMES the WHO/UNAIDS 3 by 5 strategy to mobilize resources globally and support developing countries in placing 3 million people on antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2005; 3. URGES Member States, as a matter of priority: (a) to develop and implement comprehensive plans for improving access to treatment and care, ensuring equity and including nutritional support for HIV/AIDS, with defined targets for coverage and linked to strengthened prevention efforts;
AFR/RC54/R5 Page 2 (b) to promote and support partnerships in the development and delivery of treatment services and establish effective mechanisms for mobilizing and coordinating the contribution of various stakeholders in line with the ‘three ones’ principle (one national HIV/AIDS action framework, one national coordinating authority and one agreed monitoring and evaluation system); to simplify approaches to HIV testing, counselling, treatment and monitoring, revising relevant regulations to allow paramedical staff to provide treatment as appropriate, including home-based care; to incorporate the scaling up of HIV/AIDS treatment and care into broad efforts to strengthen national health systems and disseminate lessons learned. to expand coverage by decentralizing management and service delivery for HIV/AIDS treatment and care; to strengthen human resource capacity in health care systems, train health care workers for treatment delivery and improve their access to effective treatment; to strengthen supply management and quality control systems and improve the estimation and projection of their requirements for medicines and diagnostic kits; to revise their intellectual property legislation to benefit from public health safeguards related to the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health; to strengthen partnership with civil society, including associations of people living with HIV/AIDS and promote and support their actions, particularly in advocacy, community mobilization and treatment adherence support.
(c)
(d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i)
4.
REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) to strengthen the role of WHO in providing technical leadership and direction to the health system response to HIV/AIDS within the United Nations system-wide response; to provide technical support and guidance for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and care programmes; to advocate for more international resources to increase access to care and treatment; to advocate with the Global Fund against AIDS, TB and Malaria for continued fund raising and speeding up/simplifying procedures for accessing funds; to facilitate partnerships at regional level in the delivery of support to countries and assist government efforts and partnership-building at country level; to advocate continuously for research and development of new drugs and vaccines; to report to the Regional Committee every year on the implementation of this resolution.
Fifty-fourth session AFR/RC54/R5 Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 30 August–3 September 2004 2 September 2004 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENT FOR HIV/AIDS IN THE AFRICAN REGION: THE 3 BY 5 INITIATIVE AND BEYOND (document AFR/RC54/14 Rev.1) The Regional Committee, Bearing in mind that HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of mortality in the African Region, disproportionately affecting young people and women, thwarting development and jeopardizing national security in Member States; Noting that each year, more than 2 million people lose their lives to HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to lack of access to antiretroviral therapy; Concerned that out of 4 million people in immediate need of antiretroviral therapy in Africa, only an estimated 100,000, mainly urban dwellers who are able to pay, had access to ART by the end of 2003; Recognizing that the provision of treatment in most Member States has been limited mainly due to the high cost of drugs and weak health systems including inadequate human resources; Further recognizing that antiretroviral therapy contributes to prevention which remains the cornerstone of attempts to control HIV/AIDS in the Region; Recalling the commitment made by Member States in the Abuja, Maseru and Maputo declarations and frameworks for action to intensify HIV/AIDS prevention and expand access to treatment; Acknowledging the progress made by Member States in scaling up treatment for HIV/AIDS; 1. APPROVES the document entitled “Improving access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS in the African Region: The 3 by 5 Initiative and beyond” (AFR/RC54/14 Rev.1); 2. WELCOMES the WHO/UNAIDS 3 by 5 strategy to mobilize resources globally and support developing countries in placing 3 million people on antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2005; 3. URGES Member States, as a matter of priority: (a) to develop and implement comprehensive plans for improving access to treatment and care, ensuring equity and including nutritional support for HIV/AIDS, with defined targets for coverage and linked to strengthened prevention efforts; AFR/RC54/R5 Page 2 (b) to promote and support partnerships in the development and delivery of treatment services and establish effective mechanisms for mobilizing and coordinating the contribution of various stakeholders in line with the ‘three ones’ principle (one national HIV/AIDS action framework, one national coordinating authority and one agreed monitoring and evaluation system); (c) to simplify approaches to HIV testing, counselling, treatment and monitoring, revising relevant regulations to allow paramedical staff to provide treatment as appropriate, including home-based care; (d) to incorporate the scaling up of HIV/AIDS treatment and care into broad efforts to strengthen national health systems and disseminate lessons learned. (e) to expand coverage by decentralizing management and service delivery for HIV/AIDS treatment and care; (f) to strengthen human resource capacity in health care systems, train health care workers for treatment delivery and improve their access to effective treatment; (g) to strengthen supply management and quality control systems and improve the estimation and projection of their requirements for medicines and diagnostic kits; (h) to revise their intellectual property legislation to benefit from public health safeguards related to the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health; (i) to strengthen partnership with civil society, including associations of people living with HIV/AIDS and promote and support their actions, particularly in advocacy, community mobilization and treatment adherence support. 4. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to strengthen the role of WHO in providing technical leadership and direction to the health system response to HIV/AIDS within the United Nations system-wide response; (b) to provide technical support and guidance for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and care programmes; (c) to advocate for more international resources to increase access to care and treatment; (d) to advocate with the Global Fund against AIDS, TB and Malaria for continued fund raising and speeding up/simplifying procedures for accessing funds; (e) to facilitate partnerships at regional level in the delivery of support to countries and assist government efforts and partnership-building at country level; (f) to advocate continuously for research and development of new drugs and vaccines; (g) to report to the Regional Committee every year on the implementation of this resolution.