Decision on the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Commitments of the May 2006 Abuja Special Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM) Doc. assembly/AU/4 (XI)

DECISION ON THE PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE COMMITMENTS OF THE MAY 2006 ABUJA SPECIAL SUMMIT
ON HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA (ATM)
DOC.ASSEMBLY/AU/4 (XI)

The Assembly:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Commitments of the May 2006 Abuja Special Summit on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (ATM);

2. WELCOMES the Malaria Initiative launched by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General and the appointment of a UN Special Envoy on Malaria; and REQUESTS the AU Commission to work closely with the Envoy in the implementation of the Malaria Elimination Campaign launched by the African Union;

3. CONCERNED that HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria remain major development challenges and thus require sustained political will and commitment in order to reverse their impact;

4. DEPLORES the high costs of medicines for these diseases, and NOTES WITH CONCERN the increasing challenges associated with resistance to the medicines and insecticides;

5. ACKNOWLEDGES the particular susceptibility of women, children and other vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria;

6. URGES Member States to implement their pledge to devote at least fifteen percent (15%) of their national budget to health in order to adequately address health and development, especially HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria;

7. ALSO URGES Member States to strengthen health systems in the framework of the Africa Health Strategy (2007-2015) as the best approach to promote universal access to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria services by 2010;

8. FURTHER URGES Member States to strengthen their respective disease surveillance capacities for effective monitoring and evaluation and to prepare progress reports to the AU organs and other constituencies;

9. CALLS UPON Regional and International partners to sustain efforts to support Member states in the implementation of the various commitments on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (ATM);

10. REQUESTS the Commission to promote regional cooperation whilst coordinating and harmonizing follow-up on the response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria;

11. ALSO REQUESTS the Commission in collaboration with development partners to monitor the implementation of this Decision and to prepare a review report in 2010 as requested by the Special Summit on ATM.