Opening Remarks

Good Afternoon esteemed dignitaries; Your Excellencies – First Ladies of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, and Africa REACH members and supporters, I am Toyin Saraki, the Founder and President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, a non-governmental organisation which aims to improve the social and health outcomes for women, infants and children and an Inaugural Africa REACH Leadership Council Member. I am delighted to welcome you all to the Africa REACH launch today, and commit to an Africa united against childhood HIV.

Today, we are remarkably close to eliminating HIV transmission around the world, thanks to dedicated scientists, frontline health care workers, and activists. Yet, due to deep seated stigma and lack of equal access, progress in preventing, detecting and treating HIV to reduce case counts and AIDS-related deaths is hindered, leading to millions of children, women, girls and communities across Africa being denied the opportunity to enjoy long and healthy lives.

Alongside this, a strong sense of complacency is threatening to take hold of Africa as efforts of preparation and the health agenda, especially in regards to maternal and paediatric HIV, continue to be dominated by global actors with limited on the ground understanding. These global commitments and mandates which are not accompanied by African partnerships, definitive and sustainable financing or resources have led to the African Union and other African actors to grow weary, clearly highlighting the need for this continental issue to be tackled at home, by us.

An African priority, as approximately 90% of all children living with HIV worldwide reside in Africa, ending AIDS in children and youth in Africa is about the future of the continent, not just about global “epidemic control.” We need homegrown action and care, as HIV infections amongst children continue to remain more than 8 times the global target, and currently, the number of children on treatment is not increasing, with over 800,000 children and 400,000 adolescents living with HIV. We cannot end AIDS in Africa, nor achieve the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals for our countries without investing in children and adolescents.

Africa Reaching the End of AIDS in Children and Youth in Africa by 2025 – known as Africa REACH – is uniquely positioned as an African-led, African-focused effort intended to unify and amplify its strongest political and cultural forces to create true continental change and fulfil the promise of an AIDS-free generation in Africa. Our mission is to renew commitment, influence African political and cultural structures, and generational leadership, to accelerate continental momentum, and catalyse a new action agenda in ending AIDS among children and youth in Africa. This initiative requires new and diverse voices; and consequently, the establishment of the Africa REACH Leadership Council, who join us today. The Africa REACH Leadership Council comprises highly influential individuals, business leaders, political leaders, cultural power brokers that can amplify the paediatric and youth HIV agenda beyond conventional political venues.

The 2023 theme for OAFLAD is ‘Closing gaps in gender equity’ which zones in on Africa’s drive for progress across its health and development challenges, and how gender equality should be prioritised as part of this agenda. A significant strategic intervention of Africa REACH is the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), through the reduction of vertical-transmission rates, and increased treatment access and adherence support among children. The equity gap between adults and children as well as women accessing life-saving treatment can no longer be sustained.

Through this partnership with OAFLAD, Africa REACH aims to emphasise the link and retention of all pregnant and breastfeeding women in a tailored continuum of testing, prevention, and treatment services, and the urgent scale-up of efforts to find, diagnose and provide children living with HIV to optimal child-friendly treatment.

We must commit to leaving no one behind, by addressing the discrimination, and other social, age and gender-related barriers that make children vulnerable to HIV and impede their access to treatment. Today and every day, we call on African communities, multi-sectoral partners, civil society, governments and both the private and public sectors to come together for an action agenda around ending paediatric and youth AIDS!