*AFRIHEALTH OPTONET ASSOCIATION (AHOA)*
*2025 World AIDS Day Civil Society Symposium*
25 November 2025
TOPIC:
*Breaking the Disruption Cycle in HIV Interventions in Africa and the Global South - Ensuring Continuity in All Circumstances *
OPENING STATEMENT BY:
*Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje *
CEO/PR, Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA)
President, African Network of Civil Society Organizations (ANCSO)
Distinguished colleagues, partners, leaders, and change agents across the world—
On behalf of the entire leadership and member organizations of Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), I welcome you to this special event.
Today, as we commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day, we gather under a moral and strategic imperative: to break, decisively and permanently, the persistent cycle of disruptions that continue to undermine HIV responses in Africa and the Global South. These disruptions—whether driven by conflict, pandemics, economic instability, political transitions, humanitarian crises, or environmental shocks—do not merely stall progress; they reverse hard-won gains, deepen inequities, and erode the resilience of already vulnerable populations.
For over four decades, the world has fought HIV with science, solidarity, and social justice. Yet millions still face barriers to prevention, testing, treatment, and continuity of care—barriers that are magnified whenever crises emerge. In Africa and the Global South, service interruptions are often predictable, recurring, and avoidable. They occur when health systems are weak, when communities are excluded from decision-making, and when investments in resilience remain insufficient.
The theme of this year’s reflection is therefore a call to action: we must build HIV programmes that do not collapse in the face of adversity but that anticipate, absorb, adapt, and accelerate through every circumstance. Continuity of care must no longer be an aspiration; it must be engineered into policies, budgets, innovations, and community systems.
At Afrihealth Optonet Association, we recognize that sustainable HIV responses require multisectoral collaboration—linking health, climate, nutrition, gender, human rights, and development. We champion a people-centered model that places communities at the heart of resilience. Community-led monitoring, youth networks, women’s groups, and local civil society actors must be empowered not as beneficiaries but as co-architects of the response. Their leadership is the strongest insurance against service disruptions.
We must also expand digital health, decentralized care, differentiated service delivery, and integrated primary healthcare platforms. These innovations reduce reliance on fragile systems and enable continuity in emergencies. Furthermore, financing for HIV must prioritize stability—through domestic resource mobilization, risk-sensitive budgeting, and long-term partnerships that do not vanish when crises strike.
As we reflect today, let us recommit to an Africa and a Global South where no emergency, no conflict, no pandemic, and no socioeconomic shock can interrupt HIV prevention, treatment, or support. Let us build systems that protect people, not just programmes; solutions that endure, not just interventions that react.
Together, we can end the disruption cycle—and move closer to a world where AIDS is no longer a threat to health, dignity, or development.
Thank you.
*Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje, *FAHOA
*Global Health and Dev’t Projects Consultant | Conferences Organizer |
Trainer| Facilitator | Researcher | M&E Expert | Civil Society Leader |
Policy Advocate*
CEO & Perm. Rep., Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) – CSOs global Network & Think-tank
�� �� +2348034725905 / ✉️afrepton@gmail.com / ceo@afrihealthcsos.org* / *
*X: *twitter.com/druzoadirieje
�� https://www.afrihealthcsos.org, https://druzodinmadirieje.blogspot.com
*LinkedIn: *https://ng.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Dr.+Uzodinma/Adirieje
HIFA Profile: Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a leading voice in health education, community health, and advocacy, with decades of experience advancing people-centered development across Africa and beyond. His approach to health education emphasizes participatory learning, knowledge transfer, and behavior change communication, ensuring that individuals and communities gain the skills and awareness to make informed decisions about their health. He develops and delivers innovative health promotion strategies tailored to local realities, particularly in resource-limited settings. In community health, Dr. Adirieje has championed integrated primary health care, preventive medicine, and grassroots health initiatives. Through Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), which he leads, he connects civil society, community groups, and health institutions to strengthen healthcare delivery, tackle health inequities, and improve access to essential services for vulnerable populations. His work addresses infectious diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, climate and health, environmental health, and emerging public health challenges. As a passionate advocate, Dr. Adirieje works with governments, NGOs, and international organizations to influence health policy, mobilize resources, and promote sustainable development goals (SDGs). He amplifies community voices, ensuring that health systems are inclusive, accountable, and responsive. His advocacy extends beyond health to governance, environment, and social justice, positioning him as a multidisciplinary leader shaping healthier and more equitable societies. afrepton AT gmail.com