COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE 2025 WORLD AIDS DAY COLLOQUIUM ON 'BREAKING THE DISRUPTION CYCLE IN HIV INTERVENTIONS: ENSURING CONTINUITY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

 

AFRIHEALTH OPTONET ASSOCIATION (AHOA)

 

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE 2025 WORLD AIDS DAY COLLOQUIUM ON “BREAKING THE DISRUPTION CYCLE IN HIV INTERVENTIONS: ENSURING CONTINUITY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES”

 

Organized by Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA)

Date: 25 November 2025

Venue: Virtual/Hybrid Colloquium

 

PREAMBLE

 

The 2025 World AIDS Day Colloquium convened by Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) brought together experts, civil society actors, researchers, practitioners, and development partners to discuss the urgent need to break the recurring cycles of disruption affecting HIV interventions across Africa and the Global South. The meeting examined practical strategies for safeguarding HIV prevention, treatment, research, supply chains, financing, and community systems against shocks arising from conflicts, pandemics, economic instability, and weak governance.

 

The colloquium was declared open by Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje, CEO of AHOA, whose keynote emphasized sustainability, resilience, community-led accountability, and catalytic partnerships as the core pillars for uninterrupted HIV response efforts.

 

KEY DISCUSSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS

 

1. Breaking Disruptions in HIV Interventions

Participants noted persistent disruptions caused by conflicts, service gaps, supply chain failures, health worker shortages, pandemics, and resource constraints. Strategies identified include community-led monitoring, digital health innovations, decentralized ART distribution, and strong primary health systems.

 

2. Leadership and Socio-Cultural Factors Affecting HIV Prevention

Speakers emphasized the need for political, community, and traditional leadership to address punitive laws, gender-based violence, rape, and socio-cultural norms that fuel HIV infections. Participants called for multi-level leadership engagement and targeted interventions for key populations.

 

3. Strengthening African HIV/AIDS Research Capacity

The colloquium highlighted Africa’s urgent need for self-reliance in research, development, and knowledge production. Participants called for the establishment of an African Health Research Organization to harmonize research efforts, promote south-south collaboration, and accelerate new HIV technologies and homegrown innovations.

 

4. Enhancing Local Drug Production and Supply Chain Systems

Discussions underscored the challenges of local production of ARVs and essential commodities, including high manufacturing costs, weak regulatory systems, and dependence on imports. Innovative solutions such as drone distribution, accurate forecasting, regional manufacturing hubs, and public-private investment partnerships were recommended.

 

5. Addressing Inequalities in Healthcare Access and Pricing

Participants raised concerns about pricing disparities and poor access to essential medical equipment, drugs, and commodities in African countries. They stressed the need for transparency, accountability, improved PHC infrastructure, and national ownership of health investments to ensure Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

 

6. HIV Financing and Domestic Investment

The colloquium identified domestic resource mobilization as an urgent priority. Proposed strategies included:

a.       Health taxes, social insurance contributions, and private sector levies

b.       Taxes on high-net-worth individuals and multinational corporations

c.       Levies on air tickets, extractive industries, and large businesses

d.       Creation of national HIV investment plans

e.       Multi-year government and donor commitments

f.        Multi-month dispensing and self-care innovations

 

7. Innovative HIV Funding Mechanisms and System Resilience

Participants called for digital health investment funds, diversified procurement channels, emergency stockpiles, and catalytic partnerships that shift Africa from donor dependency to self-driven resilience. Stronger community systems, improved health worker welfare, and integrated HIV continuity metrics within PHC were emphasized.

 

RESOLUTIONS AND NEXT STEPS

 

The colloquium adopted the following resolutions:

 

1.       To advocate for increased domestic financing for HIV/AIDS, through health taxes, social insurance, high-net-worth levies, and private sector contributions.

2.       To push governments to develop, fund, and publicly track national HIV investment plans, with community monitoring mechanisms.

3.       To promote establishment of transparent digital health funds for HIV and ATM diseases at national and regional levels.

4.       To advocate increased investment in local and regional manufacturing of ARVs and essential medical commodities, with regional production hubs.

5.       To support full integration of HIV continuity services into PHC, including multi-month dispensing, decentralized ART, and shared logistics.

6.       To strengthen grassroots CSOs and CBOs through domestic funding for community resilience and service continuity.

7.       To advocate for zonal/regional emergency stockpiles and contingency procurement for essential HIV commodities.

8.       To push for policies protecting the health workforce, including bridging funds, improved welfare, and anti–brain-drain measures.

9.       To scale up digital monitoring systems for early detection of disruptions in HIV programs.

10.   To advocate for flexible, multi-year donor support and sustained government financing for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research.

11.   To promote catalytic partnerships that shift the AIDS response from dependency to shared responsibility and resilience.

12.   To support upcoming HIV/AIDS awareness activities, including the December 28 workshop to be organized by Emmanuel Esio in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to an Africa where HIV programs are resilient, community-driven, sustainably financed, and shielded from disruptions. The colloquium called upon African governments, donors, civil society, the private sector, and communities to act collectively to secure uninterrupted HIV services and advance the continent toward ending AIDS as a public health threat.

 

Issued by:

Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) – CSOs Global Network & Think-Tank

 

Signed:

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje, DDP, CMC, CMTF, FAHOA, FIMC, FIMS, FNAE, FASI, FSEE, FICSA

Global Health & Development Projects Consultant | Policy Advocate | M&E Expert

CEO & Permanent Representative, AHOA

Email: afrepton@gmail.com | ceo@afrihealthcsos.org

X: twitter.com/druzoadirieje

Web: www.afrihealthcsos.org

ORCID: 0000-0003-3100-6336