STATEMENT BY THE RT HON. PRIME MINISTER

AMBROSE MANDVULO DLAMINI

AT THE VISIT TO NERCHA HEADQUARTERS

NERCHA OFFICES, MBABANE

THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2019

Chairman and members of the NERCHA Council
NERCHA Director
Management and staff
Members of the media

Good morning
It gives me great pleasure to be with you here at the NERCHA premises on this day. I appreciate the enlightening brief I have been afforded in my tour of these offices.
The achievements that have been realized in the HIV and AIDS response are self evident and I remain humbled by the great strides the country has made over the years. From a dark and bleak period, the country has defied all odds by reducing the HIV incidence by almost half.
This is a big milestone which is now the marvel of the world. It is a true sign of the resilience of Emaswati when facing a common challenge. We never lose hope.
These achievements are a result of the strong partnership between Government, communities, civil society, the church as well as the generosity of our development partners working in collaboration with NERCHA as the coordinator. Against the backdrop of these successes, the country has boldly set a target of an AIDS free Country by 2022. To achieve this vision, we need to sustain the gains already achieved and work tirelessly to focus all efforts on Vision 2022. This is not yet time to celebrate but to accelerate the response.
Enrolling people on ART, after they test positive has undoubtedly played a significant role in halting the progression from HIV to AIDS for many, thus reducing the number of AIDS related deaths. The treatment cascade must be accelerated to reach the set target of 95:95:95, that is, to have 95% of those living with HIV know their status, 95% of those who know their status on treatment and 95% of those in treatment virally suppressed, as stated in the National Strategic Framework (NSF) on HIV and AIDS 2018-2023.
Concerted efforts must be made towards the prevention of new HIV infections, thus ensuring that the large majority of persons who are HIV negative maintain their negative status. This requires the strengthening of prevention measures, particularly interventions targeting young people and men among whom high HIV incidence is found. It calls for the scaling up of new innovative interventions in prevention.
I take this time to urge NERCHA and her partners to continue being vigilant in expanding their reach to communities, especially rural areas where a majority of Emaswati live. NERCHA has to ensure that HIV services reach all people across the country. Communities themselves have a duty to strengthen their role in responding to HIV and AIDS especially in improving access to services through demand creation.
The NSF has themed this era of the response as the “The last mile”. In any race, the last mile is always the toughest lap. This holds true in the case of the HIV response. I implore you to increase the pace and not allow exhaustion to take over. There is no room for surrender.
In the process of scaling up efforts to curb new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths, there will be tough decisions to be made. While this will be beneficial in the long term, it may seem radical and uncomfortable in the short term. At a time when the country is facing fiscal challenges it is important that resources afforded every project are used accordingly. I am encouraged by the manner in which NERCHA has managed its grants. I am advised the country has one of the best performing grants in the region. This is commendable and worth accolades.
Once again, may I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to the NERCHA Council, management and staff for the sacrifice and hard work you have made in the HIV response over the years. Thank you for the warm welcome here today and for all the valuable information you have shared with me.
Together we can meet our targets as a country and turn every difficult situation to a resounding success. We have no other alternative but to work towards total control of the epidemic by 2022.
Thank you.