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As Pakistan navigates a critical juncture in public health financing, significant funding reductions under the Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) pose serious risks to the country’s progress in combating HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria. These cuts threaten to reverse hard-earned gains and undermine community-led, rights-based services vital to marginalized populations’ health and dignity.
While GC7 guidance emphasizes the importance of meaningful community engagement, the funding prioritization process in Pakistan was marked by limited consultation with those most directly impacted. In response, communities mobilized to ensure their voices are heard and their rights defended.
In a timely and strategic initiative, the Association of People Living with HIV-Pakistan (APLHIV), a longstanding advocate for rights-based health responses, collaborated with Asia-Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO) to convene a national, community-led consultation. The objective was clear: to ensure that people living with and affected by HIV, TB, and Malaria are at the forefront of decision-making processes that shape their health outcomes.
The consultation brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from across Pakistan, including leaders of key populations, individuals living with the three diseases, civil society organizations (CSOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and members of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM). The gathering served as a vital platform to:
- Highlight the real-world impact of funding reductions on vulnerable communities
- Advocate for the protection of essential, rights-based services
- Reaffirm the central role of community voices in shaping health governance
The event was further strengthened by the presence and support of Ms. RD Marte, Executive Director of APCASO, and Mr. Trouble Chikoko, UNAIDS Country Director for Pakistan. Both leaders underscored the imperative for justice, inclusion, and equity in health systems and decision-making.
A key outcome of the consultation was the endorsement of a unified statement:
“GC7 Reprioritization: Islamabad Statement 2025 by Communities & Civil Society.”
This powerful declaration, supported by seven CCM members and a wide coalition of networks representing key populations and affected communities, outlines a series of urgent and non-negotiable demands. It calls for safeguarding community-led services and ensuring that health responses remain inclusive, rights-based, and rooted in the lived realities of those they aim to serve.
📄 The full statement can be accessed here: Islamabad Statement 2025
The Islamabad Statement represents more than a policy response — a collective act of resistance and solidarity. It reclaims the space for communities to participate meaningfully in decisions that have historically excluded them. As the document asserts, “Health is a right. Community leadership is a necessity. Nothing about us without us.”
At this critical moment, it is essential that all stakeholders—national and international—recognize and uphold the indispensable role of communities in delivering effective, equitable, and sustainable health outcomes for all.
Information was shared by the Association of People Living with HIV-Pakistan (APLHIV)
