Mbabane – Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Appolo Maphalala has warned of reversed and widened HIV response gaps in urban areas following major international funding cuts.
Maphalala said urban centres are now facing mounting pressures and disrupted key community programmes.
Speaking in the voice of Undersecretary Constance Vilakati during the commemoration of the World’s AIDS Day 2025, Maphalala called for urgent transformation of the national response to protect vulnerable populations in towns and cities.
This year’s AIDS Day theme is “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response.”
Maphalala acknowledged that the nationwide HIV response faces testing challenges with the withdrawal of crucial international funding, including cuts announced by the United States President Donald Trump earlier this year, has deeply undermined essential community-level programming.
The Minister revealed that several community ART refill initiatives, particularly those under differentiated service delivery models, have stalled due to financial constraints.
“These programmes previously served as lifelines for urban residents in places such as Mbabane, Manzini, Matsapha, and Piggs Peak, areas where long working hours, mobility, and transportation barriers already made health facility access challenging,” he noted.
Urban municipalities, he said, are disproportionately affected as they host large populations of young people, job-seekers, and transient workers. Youth unemployment remains high, creating environments where vulnerabilities increase and prevention messages struggle to gain traction.
Of particular concern is the persistent rise in repeat teenage pregnancies, which the Minister described as “a community systems failure” rather than merely a health issue. He stressed that adolescent girls in urban communities require stronger reproductive health services and supportive structures that help them make informed decisions.
Maphalala also highlighted the surge in gender-based violence, including cases that are never reported beyond initial clinical assessments. The anonymity of urban settings, he said, often silences victims, leaving many to suffer in isolation.
He reaffirmed that municipalities play a decisive role in shaping the national HIV response—not only through service delivery but also through urban planning, housing development, and community-led support systems. The disruptions caused by funding constraints, he added, must be met with renewed coordination and innovation at local government level.
“Despite the challenges, this is not the time for despair,” the Minister said. “It is the moment for Eswatini to strengthen community-centred services, integrate social protection with health outcomes, and ensure that no town or family is left behind simply because funding has dwindled.”
As candles were lit to honour those lost to AIDS, the Minister urged stakeholders to protect the resilience of communities living with or affected by HIV. He emphasised that the HIV response is not only a health issue, but a development, social justice, and community concern that must remain a national priority.
“We will overcome disruption,” he concluded. “We will transform the AIDS response. And together, we will protect the future of Eswatini.”
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