The Joint Meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV/AIDS will kick off today in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
This is as South Africa assumed the chairship of the SADC earlier this year.
Discussions at the joint meeting will focus on turning regional commitments into concrete action across the following priority areas:
– Regional health security and emergency preparedness: Strengthening collective preparedness, early warning systems, disease surveillance, information sharing and coordinated cross-border responses to public health emergencies. Particular attention will be given to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the need for stronger regional readiness to detect, contain and respond to emerging infectious disease threats.
– Climate change, El Niño and health system resilience: Strengthening regional preparedness and coordinated responses to climate-related health threats, including the anticipated 2026–27 El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to intensify food insecurity, malnutrition, water scarcity and vulnerability to climate-sensitive diseases. Ministers will consider strengthening early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, nutrition interventions and cross-border coordination to protect vulnerable populations and ensure continuity of essential health services.
– Regional pharmaceutical manufacturing and health sovereignty: Advancing local and regional production of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other essential health commodities. Ministers will consider how to build a more integrated regional manufacturing ecosystem, strengthen technology transfer and create sustainable markets that reduce dependence on external suppliers and improve access to affordable, quality-assured health products.
– Pooled procurement and collective purchasing power: Advancing the establishment and operationalisation of the SADC Pharmaceutical Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS). The objective is to leverage the region’s collective purchasing power, improve affordability, strengthen supply security and create more predictable demand for regional manufacturers.
– Sustainable health financing and the future of the regional health response: Deliberating on strategies to protect essential health programmes amid declining development assistance, constrained fiscal space and increasing domestic financing pressures. This includes advancing the regional health financing agenda and protecting the sustainability of HIV/AIDS programmes, prevention services and access to new prevention technologies.
– HIV/AIDS, malaria and the region’s disease burden: Reviewing progress towards HIV epidemic control and the 95-95-95 targets, strengthening access to prevention, treatment and care, and accelerating malaria control and elimination through cross-border surveillance, vector control and equitable access to essential commodities.
– Building resilient and equitable health systems: Strengthening regional cooperation on sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, communicable diseases, and the capacity of health systems to withstand climate-related shocks and other emerging threats.
“The week-long meeting will culminate in the commemoration of SADC Malaria Day on Friday, 13 November. The commemoration will highlight the ongoing burden of malaria in the region and reinforce the importance of sustained cooperation, prevention, surveillance and coordinated interventions towards malaria elimination.
“South Africa’s hosting of the meeting underscores its commitment to advancing regional solidarity and collective responsibility in addressing shared health challenges,” a Department of Health statement read.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will accept the SADC chairpersonship from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the 46th Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in eThekwini on 17 August 2026. –SAnews.gov.za
Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.
