South Africa–UK Parliamentary Exchange: Political Leadership for One World, One Fight
In July, WACI Health co-led an MP exchange programme alongside STOPAIDS and South African civil society leadership.
The visit convened parliamentarians from South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK), civil society, and communities as an active representation of moving beyond transactional aid relationships toward genuine partnerships for #OneWorldOneFight – partnerships that are grounded in equity, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.
As South Africa and the UK prepare to co-host The Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment, this exchange laid the groundwork for deeper collaboration, stronger accountability, and renewed political leadership to end HIV, TB, and malaria.
The UK delegation was in South Africa in July and the South African delegation will be visiting their UK counterparts in September 2025.
South African – UK MP Exchange Initiative
South Africa Segment Report
Day 1: Monday 28 July
The trip opened with a briefing session where the group were given an overview of the country’s context from Dr Thembi Xulu, SANAC Civil Society Forum CEO. Dr Thembi highlighted the critical opportunity and essential need to ensure equitable access to Lenacapavir for South Africa stressing that “We participated in the science, in the research but are denied the benefits”. An overview of the critical role of Unitaid and Global Fund was given by Yvette Rapahel and Mulalo Murudi, both of which institutions the UK government was a founding member of, and the critical need for a fully replenished global health architecture to ensure both access and affordability of critical health products.
The first visit was to Thembisa Clinical Trial Site, with Aurum Institute, to showcase their Increasing Market and Public Health Outcomes Through Scaling Up Affordable Access Models of Short Course Preventive Therapy For TB (IMPAACT4TB) consortium, which is funded by Unitaid and is comprised of; the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Johns Hopkins University, KNCV the Dutch TB Foundation and the Treatment Action Group (TAG) for the scale-up of short course rifapentine-based TB preventive therapy (TPT) among high-risk groups: People living with HIV (PLHIV) and child contacts of persons with active TB infection.
The project was initially focused on 3HP (a three-month, once-weekly oral treatment of rifapentine 900mg and isoniazid 900mg for 12 weeks). IMPAACT4TB project commenced with a clinical study that ascertained the safety of co-administering and dosing of 3HP and DTG (DOLPHIN).
Following the success of the study, Unitaid and the IMPAACT4TB project led negotiations that resulted in global rifapentine price reductions in 2019 and 2021. In parallel, the project facilitated the introduction of 3HP as an additional TPT option among PLHIV and household contacts of TB patients in 12 project countries (Brazil, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Indonesia, South Africa, India, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, and Tanzania). Unitaid and the IMPAACT4TB consortium also brokered collaboration with PEPFAR, USAID, CDC the Global Fund, and other stakeholders to accelerate wider scale up of 3HP, successfully introducing 3HP in over 100 countries globally with over 12 million patient courses procured.
The delegation were able to see first hand the critical importance of the UK’s investment in ensuring more affordable access to Rifapentine.
In the evening, the delegation were welcomed to learn more about the range of Unitaid funded projects in South Africa through a World Cafe to meet the grantees. The grantees included; CHAI, Aurum, WITS and PATH.
Day 2: Tuesday 29 July
Day 2 focused on innovative HIV prevention research, youth empowerment programmes, and advancing South Africa’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, before concluding with high-level diplomatic engagement.
WITS – Project PrEP
The day began in Soshanguve at Maria Rantho Clinic, where the WITS team presented Project PrEP (Integrating PrEP into Comprehensive Services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women), a Unitaid-supported initiative with three workstreams:
- Implementation Science Study. Since 2018, PrEP options have been offered alongside comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services at six fixed clinics and three mobile clinics in three districts. By June 2025, 46,512 people had initiated PrEP, 72% of whom were adolescent girls and young women. A nested cohort study offers participants a choice between oral PrEP, dapivirine vaginal ring, and long-acting injectable CAB-LA.
- Phase 3B LEN4PrEP Study. Planned for October 2025–March 2026, this will integrate Lenacapavir (LEN) for HIV prevention into real-world services, enrolling 2,000 participants.
- Market Shaping. In collaboration with CHAI, the team is working with generic manufacturers to accelerate the availability of affordable long-acting PrEP and support policy, training, and health system readiness in early adopter countries.
Delegates also visited one of the mobile clinics, meeting peer educators and counsellors providing frontline prevention services.
Soshanguve Safe Space – Childline & MIET Africa
The delegation then visited a Childline Safe Space in Tshwane, part of NACOSA’s My Journey Adolescents and Young People Programme funded by the Global Fund. This programme aims to reduce HIV incidence, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence while increasing school retention and economic opportunities. Activities include psychosocial support, economic strengthening, homework support, and outreach to both girls and boys, including One Man Can gender equality workshops.
MIET Africa, another NACOSA sub-recipient, provides biomedical HIV prevention, testing, and treatment at community level, contributing more than 50% of PrEP provision in Tshwane. Young women shared powerful testimonies about the support received, prompting Lord Oates to affirm, “We will take these stories home.”
CPT Regional Manufacturing Facility – Rifapentine API
In the afternoon, delegates toured CPT Pharma, a subsidiary of Chemical Processing Technologies, supported by Aurum under the IMPAACT4TB project. CPT is finalising development and pilot production of locally manufactured rifapentine active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), the main component of the 3HP TB-preventive therapy regimen. This work will establish domestic rifapentine API production capacity, with potential to expand into other APIs such as Lenacapavir in future.
Reception with the British High Commissioner
The day concluded in Pretoria at a reception hosted by British High Commissioner Antony Phillipson, providing an opportunity for reflection and further engagement with partners on the importance of sustaining and scaling innovations in HIV prevention, community support, and local manufacturing.
Day 3: Wednesday 30 July
The final day of the programme provided delegates with an in-depth view of two key Global Fund-supported interventions addressing the needs of marginalised communities, followed by a joint Civil Society Townhall.
Visit to OST Clinic – Yeoville, Johannesburg
The day began at the Yeoville Department of Health Clinic, where delegates met with NACOSA and Anova Health Institute teams implementing the People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) Programme. The programme, funded by the Global Fund, uses a peer-led model to reduce health and human rights risks for people who inject drugs (PWID) across eight districts in South Africa. Services include opiate substitution therapy (OST), safe injecting equipment, hepatitis C and HIV screening, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and parenting initiatives.
Delegates heard powerful testimonies from beneficiaries, including OST patients, economic empowerment participants, and needle and syringe service users. Clinical staff provided an overview of the daily operations and addressed common misconceptions about harm reduction. The group then visited a PWUD hotspot to observe outreach work in action. Lord Oates expressed his gratitude, sharing personal reflections on friends who had faced similar challenges, and commended the critical role these services play in saving lives and restoring dignity.
Visit to CPC West Rand Sex Worker Programme
The delegation then travelled to the West Rand to meet with the Centre for Positive Care (CPC), a sub-recipient of the Global Fund sex worker programme implemented by AFSA. CPC reaches over 4,000 sex workers – female, male, transgender, MSM, and minors selling sex, providing HIV prevention and treatment services, oral PrEP, economic training, and support to transition to alternative livelihoods if desired.
During discussions, sex workers highlighted ongoing human rights violations, including gender-based violence, often perpetrated by police. While many cases are resolved internally, others are settled financially or remain before the courts. A key request from participants was to increase the frequency of CPC visits from monthly to every few weeks. Ms Clarke emphasised the importance of the proposed decriminalisation of sex work bill in reducing stigma and rights abuses.
Civil Society Townhall
The programme concluded with a Civil Society Townhall in West Rand, co-hosted by UK and South African MPs alongside SANAC Civil Society Forum leaders. The session focused on the urgent need for a fully funded Global Fund to sustain progress against HIV, TB, and STIs. Participants shared lived experiences of accessing Global Fund–supported services, underscoring the importance of sustained investment to reach key and vulnerable populations, strengthen health systems, and protect global health security.
The day closed with a strong call to action for leaders at all levels to champion health equity, human rights, and sustained global health financing.
