SPEECH DELIVERED BY
THE HONORABLE MINISTER – TINKHUNDLA ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
COORDINATION MECHANISMS ON HIV/AIDS ISSUES
CHAIRMAN OF THE NERCHA COUNCIL – CHIEF NDZABANKHULU
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS
PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES – PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE AND MINISTRY OF TINKHUNDLA ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
REPRESANTATIVES OF NERCHA
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I GREET YOU ALL, SANIBONANI BEKUNENE.
I FEEL HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS CONSULTATION THAT WILL HELP TO RE-AFFIRM THE MINISTRY OF TINKHUNDLA AND NERCHA’S COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE COORDINATION MECHANISMS NECESSARY TO HASTEN OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AIMED AT RESPONDING TO THE HIV AND AIDS PANDEMIC AND OF COURSE, OTHER EMERGING EPIDEMICS OR DISASTERS FACED BY MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS, TINKHUNDLA AND CHIEFDOMS.
WE ALL RECALL THAT HIS MAJESTY KING MSWATI III HAS INSTRUCTED ALL OF US - GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY LEADERS, BOBABE TIKHULU, DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS AND THE ENTIRE SWAZI NATION TO ENSURE THAT SWAZI CITIZENS ARE FREE OF AIDS BY 2022. IN ORDER FOR THIS VISION TO BE REALISED, COLLABORATION AND PATNERSHIP WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IS KEY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,WE NEED TO REFLECT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EXISTING MECHANISMS AND DISCUSS POSSIBLE MEANS TO HARMONISE THEM TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES REACH THE PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. WE APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS THE ENHANCED NATIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR HIV AND AIDS ADOPTED BY NERCHA IN 2014 WHICH IS A TOOL TO GUIDE THE MULTISECTORAL DECENTRALISATION OF HIV/AIDS PROGRAMMES IN THE COUNTRY. WE MUST THEREFORE, SEEK AN APPROACH TO HARMONISE THE HIV/AIDS ACTIVITIES OUTLINED IN THE GOVERNMENT POLICIES, INCLUDING THE MINISTRY OF TINKHUNDLA’S STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THOSE IN THE ENHANCED NATIONAL MULTI-SECTORAL HIV/AIDS FRAMEWORK. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT A COHERENT APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO MAXIMISE OUR DESIRED GOAL.
I AM PLEASED THAT TODAY WE HAVE COME TO A MEETING WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT OUR TRADITIONAL LEADERS, BOBABE TIKHULU, REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AND BOBANDLANCANE WILL NOT JUST BE PASSIVE BYSTANDERS ON ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT. THEY WILL BE FULLY INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING PARTICULARLY IN ISSUES CONCERNING OF ADDRESSING HIV/AIDS HEAD ON.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AS WE ALL ARE AWARE THAT SINCE THE DETECTION OF THE FIRST CASE OF HIV IN 1986, THE COUNTRY HAS SEEN THIS DISEASE GROW INTO AN EPIDEMIC. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THE PREVALENCE IS CURRENTLY RECORDED AT TWENTY SIX PERCENT AND THE INCIDENCE AT 2.4 PERCENT.
WE ARE ALL OBLIGATED TO DO MORE TO ENSURE THAT THE SITUATION FACED BY HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES BEING DEPRIVED OF THEIR LOVED ONES AND BREADWINNERS, LEAVING BEHIND A NATION STRUCK WITH POVERTY, OVCs IS REVERSED.
OUR EFFORTS SHOULD FURTHER BE ENHANCED TO ADDRESS THE HIGH BURDEN ON THE HEALTH SECTOR RESOURCES AND DEVELOP A RESULT-ORIENTED APPROACH TO REDUCE DEATH AND SUFFERING OF THOSE LEFT BEHIND.
OVER THE YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND WITH ITS PARTNERS HAVE EXPLORED INNOVATIONS THAT SEEK TO IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN THE HEALTH AND LIVELIHOOD OF PEOPLE AT THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN LIGHT OF EMERGING HEALTH EPIDEMICS. NERCHA HAS CONSISTENTLY PLAYED A MEANINGFUL ROLE IN THIS REGARD. SUCH EFFORTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED.
I SHOULD HOWEVER NOTE THAT THE WORK IS NOT DONE YET. WE NEED TO SOLDIER ON AND WIN THIS WAR AGAINST THE EMERGING EPIDEMICS IN A COLLECTIVE MANNER.
IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT I FEEL HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS EXERCISE THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE COORDINATION OF SERVICES IN OUR REGIONS AND COMMUNITIES AT LARGE. THIS, I BELIEVE WILL IMPROVE ACCESS AND COVERAGE FOR THE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IT MAY HAVE BEEN SAID ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS, BUT ALLOW ME TO REPEAT IT;
“A WEALTHY NATION IS A HEALTHY NATION “
WITH THIS, I BELIEVE WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY TOWARDS CREATING A WEALTHY NATION THAT WILL EMBRACE VISION 2022.
AS THE MINISTRY OF TINKHUNDLA IS DEDICATED TO THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE COMMUNITIES IN ALL ASPECTS, WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO COLLABORATING WITH NERCHA TO ENSURE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE PEOPLE OF SWAZILAND.
MAY I ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERYONE PARTICIPATING AT THIS MEETING TO COMMIT TO SEEING THIS PROCESS YIELD THE DESIRED OUTPUT TO ENHANCE OUR COORDINATED WORK.
“NINE BAKANGWANE I-HIV YINDZABA YETFU SONKHE”
THEREFORE, LET US ALL COMMIT TO IMPROVING OUR CONSTITUENCIES, COMMUNITIES AND REGIONS. WE OWE THIS TO OUR GENERATIONS AND OUR CONSCIENCE.
I THANK YOU.