The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers Responsible for HIV and AIDS from 09 to 13 November 2026 in Durban, Republic of South Africa to deliberate on regional health priorities and to strengthen cooperation in addressing public health challenges affecting the SADC Region.
The meeting will bring together Ministers responsible for Health and HIV and AIDS from SADC Member States to review progress on the implementation of regional health programmes and initiatives, exchange experiences and provide strategic guidance on advancing the regional health agenda.
The Ministerial Meeting provides an important platform for Member States to strengthen collective efforts towards improving healthcare The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers Responsible for HIV and AIDS from 09 to 13 November 2026 in Durban, Republic of South Africa to deliberate on regional health priorities and to strengthen cooperation in addressing public health challenges affecting the SADC Region.delivery, addressing communicable and non-communicable diseases, and enhancing the resilience of health systems across the Region.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to advance discussions on HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, and other public health priorities that require coordinated regional responses.
Through continued collaboration, SADC seeks to promote equitable access to quality healthcare services, strengthen regional health security and accelerate progress towards achieving universal health coverage and the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The programme will comprise of technical and Ministerial engagements scheduled from 09 to 12 November 2026, followed by the commemoration of SADC Malaria Day on 13 November 2026.
The SADC Malaria Day commemoration will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the continued burden of malaria in the Region and to reinforce the importance of sustained regional cooperation, prevention, surveillance and coordinated interventions towards malaria elimination.
Health remains a critical component of regional integration and socio-economic development. Through its regional health cooperation frameworks, SADC continues to support Member States in addressing shared health challenges, promoting the well-being of citizens and strengthening the capacity of health systems to respond to existing and emerging public health threats.
The Joint Meeting is expected to contribute to enhanced policy coordination, strengthened partnerships and continued commitment by SADC Member States to advancing the regional health and HIV and AIDS agenda.
Media enquiries: Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations, email; blopi@sadc.int or Ms. Anethe Mtambanengwe, email; amtambanengwe@sadc.int cc email prinfo@sadc.int.
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SADC in Brief
SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) and later, in August,1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Issued by the SADC Secretariat on 02 November, 2026
Gaborone, Botswana
