MBABANE – Parliament and the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA) have strengthened collaboration on HIV prevention following a courtesy engagement focused on new infections and community-driven solutions.
The engagement, held at the Royal Villas Hotel on Friday, brought together Members of Parliament led by Mtfongwaneni MP Nathi Mdockies Hlophe and representatives of NERCHA to discuss the country’s HIV prevention response and the findings of the HIV Prevention Indaba.
Other MPs in attendance were Mashayinkonjane Nhlengetfwa, David Cruiser Ngcamphalala, Bonginkhosi Dube and Jabulani Simelane, alongside NERCHA employees.
Speaking during the engagement, NERCHA Council Deputy Chairperson Dr Siphile Msane welcomed the legislators and said the meeting provided an opportunity for the organisation to explain its mandate and strategic direction, while sharing findings from its nationwide study into the drivers of new HIV infections.
Msane said Eswatini had made significant progress in HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression. However, she cautioned that new infections remained a concern, particularly among young people and other vulnerable populations.
She said the HIV Prevention Indaba was designed to listen directly to communities and understand the factors influencing their choices, challenges affecting prevention and measures communities believed could make HIV interventions more effective.
“Today, we bring those voices to Parliament because the findings require more than programmes,” Msane said, stressing the need for policy attention, leadership, resources and collective action.
She said Parliament had a critical role in providing oversight, strengthening policy and legislation, advocating for communities and supporting sustainable investment in the HIV response.
The Deputy Chairperson further noted that changes in the financing environment made stronger national ownership increasingly important in protecting gains achieved in the HIV response.
According to Msane, the country could not afford complacency if it was to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The meeting subsequently moved into presentations by NERCHA officials, who took Parliament through the organisation’s mandate, work and strategic direction towards 2030. The presentations also provided an opportunity for MPs to engage with the evidence emerging from the HIV Prevention Indaba.
This was followed by the formal delivery of the study findings and oral question-and-answer sessions, allowing legislators to seek clarification and engage NERCHA on issues arising from the research.
The discussions highlighted the importance of translating evidence from communities into practical interventions and policy decisions that can strengthen HIV prevention.
Msane also invited Members of Parliament to visit NERCHA’s headquarters in Mbabane and its regional offices housed within the Ministry of Tinkhundla and Administration.
The engagement comes as Eswatini continues working to sustain progress in the HIV response while addressing persistent drivers of new infections. The sharing of prevention findings with Parliament is expected to support stronger oversight, informed policy discussions and coordinated action between policymakers, NERCHA and communities.
The engagement therefore served not only as a courtesy meeting, but also as a platform for Parliament and NERCHA to consider how evidence from communities can shape the country’s next phase of HIV prevention efforts at national level.
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