Third International Conference on Financing for Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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juillet 13, 2015 to juillet 16, 2015

Press Release

Health financing takes centre stage at Financing
for Development Meeting

Addis Ababa, 14 July 2015- Leaders meeting in Addis Ababa Monday urged concerted continental and global efforts to accelerate efforts for accelerated domestic financing for health. The meeting also emphasised the continued importance of international support to Africa’s disease responses in the spirit of shared responsibility and global solidarity.

“The transformation of our economies and our countries will never be complete without claiming victory over diseases, particularly, the three big epidemics of our time – HIV, tuberculosis and malaria” said Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. “Our founders urged us to unite. To defeat these diseases, we must unite not only amongst ourselves but also with our international development partners in order to raise enough resources for the final push against these diseases”.

Significant progress, but challenges remain

Most African countries recognised and responded to the need to diversify and expand funding sources for health to reduce aid dependency. Between 2006 and 2011 global domestic investment doubled spending on AIDS, TB and malaria. In the last four years, African countries have increased their domestic resources to fight AIDS by 150%.

HIV treatment in Africa increased more than 100-fold with approximately 10 million people are now on treatment. Similarly malaria mortality rates declined by 54% overall and by 58% among children. Africa’s TB treatment success rate reached 86% in 2013.

However despite these historic gains, these epidemics are far from over. AIDS remains a leading cause of death in Africa, killing 1.1 million people on the continent in 2013. An African child still dies almost every minute from malaria. The TB response will need to reach about 1.3 million people in Africa.

Financing health and achieving Agenda 2063

Africa is finalising its long term development strategy, Agenda 2063 that will put Africa firmly on a path to sustainable structural transformation and sustainable long-term inclusive economic growth. Agenda 2063 lays out seven key priorities.

These are inclusive growth and sustainable development; an integrated continent; good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law; peace and security; strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics; people-driven development and a strong, united and influential Africa acting as a global player and partner. One of the key central enablers for Agenda 2063 is the need for inward looking in mobilising African resources to finance and accelerate transformation, integration, peace, security, infrastructure, industrialisation, democratic governance and strengthened continental institutions.

“Africa must move on a path to rapid industrialisation. Economic growth will result in more domestic resources being allocated to social service delivery including health” said Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

While development aid has helped it will not deliver sustainable growth and development results in Africa. The continent must continue to explore innovative sources of domestic finance for its development programmes and projects. Africa’s future lies in its ability to generate its own development finance. Africa is indeed responsible for a significant proportion of its development finance as more than $527.3 billion comes from domestic revenues compared to $73.7 billion in private flows and $51.4 billion in official development assistance.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Mark Dybul the Executive Director of the Global Fund, Mr. Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

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About the African Union

The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en/

About AIDS Watch Africa
Created at the Abuja 2001 Special Summit, AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) is an Africa-led instrument to stimulate leaders into action and mobilize the resources needed to address AIDS, TB and Malaria in an effective, sustainable and accountable manner. Learn more at www.aidswatchafrica.org

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