The Society for AIDS in Africa has urgently called for action to secure domestic funding for health systems, particularly in response to growing concerns over the future of HIV/AIDS programs across the continent.
This call was made during the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) 2025 Steering Committee meeting in Accra, where participants highlighted the critical need for African nations to reduce their dependence on external donors and take greater ownership of their HIV/AIDS response.
Dr. David Pagweses, President of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA), expressed concern about the impact of the recent U.S. administration’s decision to freeze and redirect aid, which has created uncertainty regarding funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Africa.
In response, Dr. Pagweses urged the three ICASA 2025 sub-committees to reconsider their plenary topics, incorporating discussions on domestic health financing and the long-term sustainability of Africa’s HIV/AIDS response.
“If we do not think innovatively about the sustainability of our health systems and domestic financing, Africa will risk returning to the dark days of the 1980s and 1990s, when people were dying of AIDS due to lack of medicine,” Dr. Pagweses warned.
The meeting was attended by development partners, board members of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA), and Ghanaian government officials.
However, despite the challenges, the society revealed a groundbreaking research emerging from South Africa’s HIV Cure Trial, which has provided renewed hope for a cure. The committee called on the African Union and national governments to take ownership of such scientific advancements to reduce the continent’s reliance on external support.
The meeting concluded with a rallying call for African nations and the diaspora to take decisive steps toward strengthening health systems with a focus on accountability, transparency, and universal access to care.
As ICASA 2025 approaches, stakeholders have also pledged to work collaboratively to ensure the conference serves as a defining moment for Africa’s healthcare future.
