The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is holding two technical meetings in Lusaka, Zambia, focusing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. The meetings, which bring together Focal Persons and Programme Managers on SRH and HIV, are part of preparations for the Joint Meeting of SRHR, HIV Managers, and National AIDS Commission Directors scheduled for 8 October 2025.
Duduzile Simelane, Director of Social and Human Development at the SADC Secretariat, said the region continues to face a disproportionate burden of new HIV infections, making coordinated and strategic responses urgent.
During the SRH technical meeting, participants are contributing to the Mid-Term Review of the SADC SRHR Strategy and refining the methodology for Minimum Standards in integrating SRHR, HIV, and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in emergency situations. These documents will be presented to SADC Ministers of Health and HIV in November 2025.
The HIV response meeting is reviewing the 2025 SADC HIV Annual Progress Report, exploring emerging technologies to strengthen HIV care and prevention, and assessing the HIV and health financing landscape to guide programming across the region.
Delegates are discussing structural barriers such as stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence, and socio-economic disparities that continue to limit access to SRHR and HIV services. Fiscal constraints and changes in donor funding were also noted as threats to the sustainability of national response efforts.
The upcoming Joint Meeting will assess progress toward 2025 HIV/TB and SRHR/HIV integration targets, address inequalities in service access, and promote collaboration among Member States, partners, and communities to advance comprehensive, rights-based healthcare.
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