October 2013 marked a year since the establishment of the Civil Society Forum structure and its new leadership. At a forum meeting to mark this occasion, the gathering noted that significant progress has been made since then. There is ownership of processes within sectors and documentation of these processes and activities. High level dialogues have taken place as well as advocacy activities by sectors’ leadership, thereby influencing the programmatic focus of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and contributions of civil society organisations in implementing the NSP, and most importantly, the opportunity to align with constituencies at provincial levels. Eighteen sectors are represented at the national CSF level, and we welcomed the return of the Traditional Leaders, Traditional Healers and the Research Sectors to the Forum. If this solidarity should be intact, the sustainability and impact of the Sectors should be maintained.
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This is a move towards solidarity and inclusiveness. SANAC should ensure shared responsibility and build consensus on scaling up services both comprehensively and in a collective approach and monitor the impact, thereof, in the response. The shared responsibility approach should be in the aspect of reaching universal access on the journey towards zero new infections, zero deaths, zero vertical transmission, zero discrimination and zero gender based violence”.
As a country, we have a task to ensure that those eligible for treatment access it. Our views are even stronger with regard to ensuring that political commitment remains strong. Stakeholders also need to ensure ownership of processes they are part of. The Civil Society Forum is concerned about the sustainability of programmes. HIV and TB services need to be scaled up to meet a growing demand, yet funding remains unsustainable. While the sustainability of treatment is cause for concern, we are also deeply concerned about the country’s ability to prevent new HIV infections in the general population.
It is the forum’s view that there should be a concerted effort to end new infections, get society free of gender based violence and to close all treatment and service gaps. All this requires urgency, advocacy, drive and political will.
The recently approved R3 billion grant from the Global Fund should be distributed to support effective programmes and these funds should be used to adequately address these needs. Amongst other needs, the funds should be channelled towards programmes that challenge patriarchal norms and systems and social and structural norms that engender inequality and create barriers to service provision and access.
The SANAC Secretariat also needs to review the disbursement of resources that will enable its civil society sectors to function effectively as well as strengthen the provincial and local councils on AIDS. Communications and a monitoring and evaluation system should also be in place.
The Civil Society Forum will strive to ensure that significant progress is made with regard to scaling up prevention and treatment as well as ensuring a human rights-based approach is followed in the implementation of the current NSP.
Amandla!!