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Who We Are

About us

WACI Health is an Africa regional advocacy organization committed to creating political will to end life-threatening epidemics and improve health for all in Africa.

Our History

We started out as World AIDS Campaign (WAC) in 1997, to focus on raising public awareness on specific issues on the global AIDS response. This was achieved by working to support and strengthen campaigning on HIV accountability among diverse civil society constituencies worldwide.

WACI was also tasked to lead the planning and observance of the International World Aids Day. In 2004, became an independent NGO based in the Netherlands.

In 2008, the organization undertook a strategic shift that would lead to the registration of World Aids Campaign International  (WACI) in South Africa. Over the following (4) years, WACI would see a range of institutional and leadership transitions. From a global organization, founded and headquartered in Europe, working in various geographical regions, including: Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, to an organization that is today based and focused on Africa addressing not only HIV but also broader issues in health.

The organization’s deliberate shift to focus on Africa was guided by the need to be more conscientious, more innovative and even more accountable and streamlined in our approaches as we continued to ensure that the organization maintained her pivotal role in the global AIDS response, while continually embracing and incorporating the broader health development agenda into her work.

After seven (7) years as World AIDS Campaign International, the organization is now referred to as ‘WACI Health’.

 

Vision

Health for all in Africa

Mission

WACI Health exists to champion the end of life-threatening epidemics and health for all in Africa by influencing political priorities through an effective, evidence-driven Pan-African civil society voice and action.


Our Strategic Approach

In our transition from World AIDS Campaign International to WACI Health, we remain committed to responding vigorously to epidemics such as AIDS, TB and malaria as well as associated causes of death. In addition, the shifting field of global health calls us to support long-term investments in health and explore the interconnectedness of major infectious diseases and conditions that continue to kill many across the world. At the core of our strategy is a deliberate intention to broadly contribute to health equity, human rights and gender equality.

Our approach is based on our theory of change, which is made up of three core strategies:

  1. Policy and advocacy: Policy watch and analysis for strategic input and accountability at global, regional and national levels. Through political advocacy, we will seek to influence perceptions, views and decisions of those in positions of power. We will continually seek to achieve improved tools for data analysis and evidence for advocacy.
  2. Civil society Capacity Strengthening: Strengthening capacity of Civil Society to engage as strong advocates for health in Africa. We will support realization of appropriate civil society capacity for utilization of tools, and knowledge to apply evidence in advocacy. We will seek to strengthen civil society and community organizing for health advocacy.
  • Civil society mobilization: Building a civil society movement in Africa in order to raise a critical mass of people whose voices and action will be core to ending the epidemics and improving health for all in Africa. We envisage a movement that will broadly contribute to health equity, human rights and gender equality.

The theory of change is dynamic and interactive, with all of the strategies working together to impact 3 areas of Global Health work, which broadly point to our strategic goals.

 

  1. Resources for health: We will focus on urging national governments and international agencies to step up their investments in health through transparent investments.
  2. Research and Development: We will focus on supporting health research and development with an aim to see that its application and delivery results to access to health products, technologies, innovations and better health for the people most in need.
  • Civic Engagement: We will strive to support stronger civil society and community voice and action. We see this strengthening/empowerment not only as a process in health advocacy but also an end in itself where empowerment contributes to sustainability beyond specific processes.
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African Countries Step Up Contributions to the Global Fund

GENEVA – African countries increased investments in the Global Fund as global health partners seek to galvanize all sources of funding to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics, and to build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Zimbabwe each made contributions to the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment, hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada in Montreal on 16-17 September. Altogether, the conference secured pledges of more than $12.9 billion from partners across the world.

Pledges by African countries to the Global Fund are aligned with a far more significant increase of domestic investment in health by African countries – US$10.9 billion committed for 2015-17. For the first time, Africa is now mobilizing more domestic funding for health than foreign funding in the sector.

Specific pledges to the Global Fund signal commitment beyond any specific country, toward a global approach to ending the epidemics.

President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, making his nation’s first contribution to the Global Fund of US$1 million, said Togo will play its part in the fight against epidemics to end them for good.

President Macky Sall of Senegal said: “In an interconnected and interdependent world, diseases know no borders.” He added: “New impetus is needed to continue support to the countries affected by diseases. These countries should also invest more in the health sector so we can end these diseases for good.”

President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire also pledged US$1 million to the Global Fund, and spoke about the importance of focusing investments in programs that specifically address the disproportionate effects on women and girls.

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, when he announced a pledge of US$5 million just prior to the Replenishment Conference, said his country was contributing the funds in the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility in the fight against diseases.

“The funds, which will be invested in prevention and treatment of diseases and in building health systems, will save lives and create more inclusive and thriving communities,” President Kenyatta said.

Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said more investments in health by African countries have helped build remarkable momentum against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria – some of Africa’s most devastating diseases.

“African leaders have made investing in health a top priority,” Dr. Dybul said. “They are strong partners in a global movement that is determined to expand access to health services to everyone, leaving no one behind.”

The Replenishment Conference raised nearly $1 billion more than the previous pledging session in 2013, and benefitted from participation by leaders from countries all over the world, including heads of state of Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo and the prime ministers of Mali and Guinea.

The amount raised will save 8 million lives, avert 300 million infections, and help build resilient and sustainable systems for health. The conference is the beginning of a three-year replenishment period, and the Global Fund will work to gain further contributions in the coming months and years, with strong advocacy by civil society and partners worldwide.

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For more information, please contact:

ERNEST WAITITU
Editorial Specialist
Mobile: +41 079 541 0656
E-mail: ernest.waititu@theglobalfund.org

CategoriesWACI Health News

Accelerating research through funding, crucial to defeating AIDS

Nairobi, May 17-18 2016. In commemoration of the 2016 World AIDS Vaccine Day, representative civil society groups from the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region convened to re-invigorate and accelerate Civil Society Action on investments and innovation in AIDS Vaccine Research and Development among other New Prevention Technologies (NPTs).

The timing of this meeting, hosted by WACI Health, KANCO, MANASO, EANNASO in partnership with IAVI, coincided with the process for the High Level Meeting on HIV&AIDS- a process that would lead to the endorsement of a political declaration reiterating commitment by UN member states to bring about an end to the AIDS epidemic.

Africa civil society had agreed to a common civil society regional position on the HLM, which included this specific language on preventive vaccines:Boldly pursue new scientific solutions and expand investment in research and development for improved diagnostics, easier and more tolerable treatment regimens, preventive and therapeutic vaccines, and other prevention technologies as well as a functional cure.

Is Prevention being left behind?

This particular language and demand, which set the tone for the 2 day’s meeting, had been inspired by concerns over slowed but not reversed tide of new HIV infections. As noted by Ms. Jacquline Makokha, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, in her remarks callingupon CSOs to join UNAIDS in its efforts to revitalize HIV prevention. She added that in overall, provision of large scale, effective HIV prevention interventions were yet to be optimized, hence the slow reduction of new infections. She further noted that with funding for prevention dwindling, fewer than one in five people at risk of HIV infection today has access to prevention programs.She elaborated on theUNAIDS quota for prevention campaign, which calls for 25% of all funding for HIV/AIDS programs to prevention efforts.

Still too many new infections

While prevention approaches including condoms, VMMC, antiretroviral treatment as prevention (TasP) and PrEP have brought about substantial reductions in new HIV infections, with a record of 14% decline in ESA region between 2010-2015, there are still too many people becoming infected worldwide to bring the epidemic to a halt. According to UNAIDS 2016 data, 2.1 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2015, globally. Eastern and Southern Africa is home to 960,000 of those, accounting for 46% of the global total of new HIV infections.

Need for new tools

The need for new tools to bolster existing strategies for prevention and ultimately end the pandemic is undeniably of paramount importance.  Glenda Gray, President of the South African Medical Research Council, and colleagues,in their paper on ending AIDS, argue that the widespread elimination of HIV will require the development of new, more potent prevention tools. The paper goes further to point out that true containment of the epidemic requires the development and widespread implementation of a scientific advancement that has eluded us to date—a highly effective vaccine. A safe, effective, licensed, affordable and accessible vaccine would help to sustain the impact of expanded access to existing treatment and prevention options.

Dr Borna Nyamboke of KAVI Institute of Clinical Research, in her remarks further stressed that efforts to ensure broader access to HIV testing and treatment as well as existing and emerging HIV prevention options must go hand-in-hand with efforts for additional ways to prevent HIV, including a vaccine.‘Indeed, there are now more tools than ever to help control the HIV epidemic, but an HIV vaccine remains a critical component of the long-term strategy for ultimately ending the epidemic.’

Long timeframe for availability; planning for access

While vaccine development is a slow, iterative process, now 35 years into the HIV epidemic, researchers believe that an HIV vaccine is closer than ever,given the probable start of new vaccine efficacy trials in 2016/2017. Results from theseefficacy trials would likely not be available until 2021. In addition, positive results are just the beginning of making a vaccine available to those who need it. Moving from trial results to licensure, wide-scale manufacturing and rollout plans can add several years to the process. Therefore, planning for access after positive results should take place in parallel with the research.

Advocates, donors, policymakers, regulators and funders all have a role to play in planning now to ensure that positive results from a trial are translated as quickly as possible to a safe, effective, licensed and widely accessible HIV vaccine.

HIV Prevention R&D Investment

Research on HIV&AIDS is identified as important in HIV and AIDS response world over with hopes for advanced treatment, vaccine, and a cure being purely hinged on HIV&AIDS Research. However, overall funding has remained at nearly the same level for approximately a decade. In 2015, preliminary reported funding for HIV prevention R&D decreased from US$ 1.25 billion in 2014 to US$1.18 billion. Changing funding dynamics and priorities in donor countries have shaped these trends and will continue to do so in years to come.  Currently, neither national budgets nor regional commitments to health demonstrate adequate investment in new HIV prevention R&D.

DrNdukuKilonzo, the Director of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council, speaking to the 36 CSO leaders from 13 countries in the ESA region, in her opening remarks made reference to NACC’s leadership towards increased investments for HIV research agenda in Kenya- an initiative that could be replicated in other African countries. NACC’s policy brief on domestic financing of the HIV and AIDS research agenda provides guidance on the policy directions required to ensure a greater return on investment. Most notably NACC willwork to ensure commitments of allocation of 2% of GDP to the National Research Fund (NRF) and 10% of total HIV spending to HIV research are materialized

Civil society role and commitment

Thirty six CSO leaders from 13 countries in the ESA region gathering in commemoration of WAVD 2016 at this meeting, reiterated their commitment to addressing HIV&AIDS, and a world without AIDS. To achieve that vision, civil society must not lose sight of two things:

  • Making maximum use of the prevention and treatment strategies available right now.
  • Investing in research and development of critically needed new prevention options.

The group further called Civil Society in Africa to strengthen and sustain momentum to support innovation and accelerate research & development toward new prevention options (like vaccines and microbicides), better treatment therapies, and a cure. The meeting underscored the need for Civil Society and communities to continue to discuss and share experiences on how CSOs are transitioning to respond to HIV R & D needs in the quest for an end to AIDS.

CS committed to step up advocacy and issued a call to action, boldly calling upon African governments to accelerate HIV R&D investments through:

  1. Budgetary allocation of at least 15% of national budgets to health so as to increase funding to accelerate R&D for newer and improved health technologies including HIV new prevention technologies.
  2. Budgetary allocation of at least 2%of ministries of health budget to research
  3. 10% of HIV allocations be earmarked for research
  4. 25% of HIV allocations be earmarked for prevention efforts

Rosemary Mburu is the Executive Director of WACI Health, which hosts the Africa Civil Society Platform on Health (CiSPHA) and GFAN Africa hub. WACI Health is an ACTION partner, a global health advocacy partnership.

CategoriesWACI Health News

Hope and Momentum in Maputo

The Mozambican city of Maputo, naturally endowed with one of the longest Indian Ocean coastline, is beautiful and inviting. Being in Mozambique the week of 19-22 April, was exciting. First, perhaps because of the calming breeze and waters of the Indian Ocean and second because of the possibilities I encountered in a meeting with many inspiring people working in global health. We were here for the ‘Regional Global Fund Forum for Sharing Experiences among Implementing Countries’. Present at the meeting were over 150 delegates from the 7 countries that form a grouping called ‘High Impact Africa 2’: Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

Meeting Alberto[1] was, however, perhaps, my most precious and unforgettable Maputo experience. Precious for the openness and resilience that Alberto exhibited and the unforgettable fire he lit up in my belly.   The ambivalent range of emotions I experienced- anger, shame, pride, hope, and determination-reminded me that the global health advocacy work some of us do truly does save lives and is worth every minute and penny.

Co-infected with HIV and TB, Alberto told the story of his life in its fullness. Joys, struggles, hopes, the lows, and the highs. Stigma, lack of nutritional support, inefficiencies in the health system, burn out among community health workers and much more.

Moments of hope in this encounter included when he dashed into his house and brought out a black polythene bag. One by one he spread his HIV and TB medication on the floor, explaining each medication including when and how many times he takes his drugs. He recounted the numerous occasions he has been hospitalized. He is on TB treatment for a second phase of six months.Jane, the health care worker who visits Alberto at his house several times a week, through the Global Fund supported DOTs program,narrated that Alberto’s doctors had recently confirmed that he was resistant to a number of drugs and had ordered change of medication. In his view, he would not have lived to tell this story had it not been for the drugs.

Alberto is a living example of how investments in TB and HIV programs are keeping people like him alive, by identifying them and enabling them to access both HIV and TB treatment among other services. With these investments, Alberto has also been linked to care through the DOTs program. There are about 3 million TB cases that are still not diagnosed or are diagnosed but not registered by the National TB programs globally, and specifically in Africa which, is home to 16 out of the 30 TB high burden countries. Also, there are many people living with HIV out there who are yet to be screened for TB. Yet, over 50% of deaths of people living with HIV are TB related.

Alberto is a reminder of the need for greater TB/HIV collaboration in order to ensure that synergy between TB/HIV programs is optimized. National governments ought to increase domestic investments not only in TB/HIV programs but also in health in general. International investments in health are also critical in providing resources for health services and care.

The Global Fund is a unique funding mechanism to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. Global Fund supported programs have saved 17 million lives since 2002, and the Fund is on track to reach 22 million lives saved by the end of 2016. This clearly makes the Fund one of the smartest investments in global health and key in realizing the Sustainable Development Goal 3 for Health. To keep people, like Alberto, alive, the Global Fund needs at least US$13 billion for the next replenishment period (2017-2019)[2].

My hope, inspired by Alberto and the beautiful city of Maputo, is that by the time my 10 years old girl is 25, we will have fixed healthcare for ALL in Africa.

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Rosemary Mburu is the Executive Director of WACI Health, which hosts the Africa Civil Society Platform on Health (CiSPHA) and GFAN Africa hub. WACI Health is an ACTION partner, a global health advocacy partnership.

[1] Not his real name.

[2]Investment Case for the Global Fund’s 2017-2019 Replenishment:The Right Side of the Tipping Point For AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, December 2015, http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/search/?q=investment+case

 

CategoriesWACI Health News

Getting to zero the biomedical way in Africa: outcomes of deliberation at the 2013 Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum in Abuja, Nigeria

Over the last few decades, biomedical HIV prevention research had engaged multiple African stakeholders. There have however been few platforms to enable regional stakeholders to engage with one another. In partnership with the World AIDS Campaign International, the Institute of Public Health of Obafemi Awolowo University, and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS in Nigeria, the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society hosted a forum on biomedical HIV prevention research in Africa. Stakeholders’ present explored evidences related to biomedical HIV prevention research and development in Africa, and made recommendations to inform policy, guidelines and future research agenda.

Discussion

The BHPF hosted 342 participants. Topics discussed included the use of antiretrovirals for HIV prevention, considerations for biomedical HIV prevention among key populations; HIV vaccine development; HIV cure; community and civil society engagement; and ethical considerations in implementation of biomedical HIV prevention research. Participants identified challenges for implementation of proven efficacious interventions and discovery of other new prevention options for Africa. Concerns raised included limited funding by African governments, lack of cohesive advocacy and policy agenda for biomedical HIV prevention research and development by Africa, varied ethical practices, and limited support to communities’ capacity to actively engaged with clinical trial conducts. Participants recommended that the African Government implement the Abuja +12 declaration; the civil society build stronger partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and develop a coherent advocacy agenda that also enhances community research literacy; and researchers and sponsors of trials on the African continent establish a process for determining appropriate standards for trial conduct on the continent.

Conclusion

By highlighting key considerations for biomedical HIV prevention research and development in Africa, the forum has helped identify key advocacy issues that Civil Society can expend efforts on so as to strengthen support for future biomedical HIV prevention research on the continent.

Rosemary Mburu is the Executive Director of WACI Health, which hosts the Africa Civil Society Platform on Health (CiSPHA) and GFAN Africa hub. WACI Health is an ACTION partner, a global health advocacy partnership.

CategoriesWACI Health News

The far-reaching impact of strengthening primary health care


With the launch of the new Sustainable Development Goals, health and development experts around the world are reflecting on what it will take to accomplish them. As a global community, this is a unique opportunity to think carefully about what works and what doesn’t, and to use the new goals to redouble our efforts to support programmes, solutions, and systems that work.

To fuel progress in global development, we need catalysts that cut across multiple challenges and support multiple development interests. There is a widespread understanding among decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries that high-performing primary health-care systems play that catalytic role. These systems are central to reaching global and country-specific goals, achieving universal health coverage, and meeting the majority of individual and community health needs before they become emergencies. A healthy population in turn sets the stage for gains in education, economies, and peace and security.

Providing sexual and reproductive health services in the context of primary health care is a long-established principle and practice. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action called for ensuring access to reproductive health through primary health care. Similarly, a 2008 UNFPA publicationstated that achieving progress towards sexual and reproductive health and rights depends on a strong and functional health system in every country, especially at the primary and first referral levels.

With respect to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, the 2006 Abuja Call for Accelerated Action TowardsUniveral Access called for the promotion and integration of access to prevention, treatment, care, and support in primary health-care services. High-performing primary health-care systems enable countries to maximise the impact of core investments in programmes to defeat these and other infectious and non-communicable diseases. For example, primary health-care systems can be the basis for the scale-up of essential HIV and AIDS services in hard-to-reach areas and among underserved populations.

Unfortunately, despite broad global agreement on the value of robust primary health care, there is not a simple recipe to achieve it. Domestic financing and country ownership are critical elements, and it is time for countries to set priorities and budgets that explicitly aim to strengthen primary health-care systems, complementing the efforts of donors. Civil society also has a key role to play, not only holding decision-makers accountable but also working with them to develop strong systems that can be reached by all.

To enact policies and budgets that lead to measurable primary health-care improvements, however, decision-makers need better information about the components of high-performing primary health-care systems, particularly their poorly understood service delivery elements – such as the quality of care, and patients’ ability to access the system, and the degree of coordination among various care providers. A new partnership called the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) seeks to address this gap in information, giving decision-makers the tools to adopt policies and practices based on evidence.

We are excited about PHCPI because it presents an opportunity for collaboration among diverse communities working to address other issues of global health and development. This is a chance to look ahead to where improvements to primary health-care systems can take us all in the future. We can rise above disputes over which health issues deserve the most attention, or what set of indicators gives us the best picture of a system’s health. We can harness data to make policy decisions about health care that are truly responsive to communities’ needs. We can unite around the opportunity to dramatically improve the health of millions of people by focusing on primary health care, the frontline of health in people’s communities.

CategoriesWACI Health News

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