The second event in the ECSA Health Community Health Economics Community of Practice webinar series, supported by WHO-AFRO and the Thanzi Programme, took place on 26 June 2025. This webinar on Sustainability of HIV Programmes, in collaboration with the HIV Modelling Consortium, addressed the pressing challenges faced by HIV programs across Africa. With the withdrawal of USAID/PEPFAR funding and the potential for reduced Global Fund contributions, countries are seeking urgent solutions to sustain progress in the fight against HIV.
The webinar highlighted critical new research from the HIV Modelling Consortium (Phillips, A; et al, forthcoming) which offers practical recommendations on how to reduce costs while simultaneously improving HIV-related health outcomes. These insights are particularly timely as African nations navigate a rapidly evolving funding environment.
Agenda:
- Sustaining progress in HIV in Africa through enabling of self-care: model-predicted effects of local free provision of HIV self-tests and antiretroviral drugs | Andrew Phillips (University College London)
- Modelling for Sustainability: Insights from the HIV Modelling Consortium | Edinah Mudimu (University of South Africa)
- Impacts of U.S. Bilateral Aid Disruptions on HIV in Zambia | Anna Bershteyn (NYU Grossman School of Medicine)
- Continental perspectives on the sustainability of HIV programmes | Moustapha Zakari (African Union Commission)
- Analysis of the potential impact of external funding cuts on health systems | James Avoka Asamani (WHO Africa Regional Office)
- Q&A session | moderated by Juliet Nabyonga-Orem (WHO Africa) & Edward Kataika (ECSA Health Community)
- Closing Remarks | Edward Kataika
You can watch the presentations and discussions by clicking ‘play’ in the video below, or visit the Thanzi Programme YouTube channel.
A summary of the questions posted during the Q&A session, and the responses from the panel, are shared in this Q&A document.
The ECSA-HC Health Economics Community of Practice (HE-COP) is pleased to present this webinar series, in collaboration with WHO-AFRO and the Thanzi Programme, on pertinent topics related to health systems and resource allocation across the African continent. Further webinars in the series are planned, with the next one on the topic of Community Health Workers.
Follow the Thanzi Programme on LinkedIn, Bluesky, or X (Twitter) to stay informed on future news, events, and research insights.
By: Kath Devlin | July 2025
