Despite notable progress in HIV prevention, treatment, and care across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), sustaining impact remains a major challenge. Limited resources, stigma, legal and structural barriers, and complex humanitarian and mobility contexts continue to affect access to services, particularly for key and underserved populations.

To explore how regional collaboration and community leadership can reinforce HIV responses, EMPHNET convened the 51^st session of its WEBi Series, titled “Sustaining HIV Impact in MENA: Community Coalitions, Regional Coordination, and Leadership,” on January 27, 2026.

The webinar brought together regional and national stakeholders to examine practical approaches for strengthening coordination, accountability, and shared learning to sustain HIV impact across the region.

Opening Remarks

The session was moderated by Dr. Deema Al-Bakri, Senior Technical Officer at EMPHNET. She highlighted that while overall HIV prevalence in the region remains relatively low, the MENA region has experienced a significant increase in new HIV infections over the past decade. The session, she noted, aimed to connect technical priorities with real-world implementation and community-led action.

Regional HIV Trends and Persistent Gaps

The webinar opened with a technical presentation by Dr. Muhammad Shahid Jamil, Technical Officer at the Department of Communicable Diseases, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO).

Dr. Jamil highlighted that the Eastern Mediterranean Region is facing a rapidly expanding and concentrated HIV epidemic, in contrast to global declines. He noted that around 610,000 people were living with HIV in 2024, nearly double the number a decade ago. Despite high testing volumes, he emphasized that testing remains poorly targeted, with key populations underreached while contributing a large share of new diagnoses. He further noted that the region continues to lag across the HIV cascade, particularly in prevention, which remains underfunded and donor dependent, limiting the scale-up of high-impact interventions.

Panel Discussion

Building on the regional overview, the panel discussion explored how coordination, governance, and community leadership can strengthen the sustainability of HIV responses across the MENA region. Moderated by Dr. Al-Bakri, the panel brought together:

• Martin van den Boom
  WHO Regional Advisor for TB, HIV, Hepatitis and STIs for the Eastern Mediterranean Region

• Mohamed Chakroun
  Chair of CCM Tunisia, Board Member for the EMRC, The Global Fund, and Member of the Strategic Committee, The Global Fund

• Mohammed El Khammas
  President of the MENA- H Coalition

• Lama Almajali
  Public Health Officer- Jordan and OPT, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Sustainability, Integration, and Regional Learning

Dr. van den Boom emphasized that sustaining HIV impact requires moving beyond vulnerable, vertically funded programs toward stronger integration within national health strategies and health system reforms. The discussion highlighted the need for inter-ministerial collaboration, continued focus on key populations, and structured regional learning to adapt successful models while safeguarding equity and quality of care.

Governance, Financing, and Future Funding Priorities

Prof. Chakroun addressed sustainability from a governance and financing perspective, underscoring the importance of strong, evidence-based national strategic plans to guide coordinated action among national programs, CCMs, partners, and civil society. The discussion highlighted the need for better alignment between country and multi-country investments and emphasized early, data-driven dialogue to strengthen sustainability, domestic co-financing, and preparedness for upcoming funding cycles.

Community Leadership and Regional Coordination

Community leadership emerged as a central theme throughout the discussion. Dr. El Khammas highlighted the central role of civil society and community-led organizations in sustaining HIV impact. The discussion emphasized that community actors are often treated as implementers rather than strategic partners, despite their deep contextual knowledge. Dr. El Khammas called for institutionalized community engagement across policy development, program design, monitoring, and evidence generation, supported by long-term investment in community governance and leadership to ensure responses are grounded in lived realities rather than imposed top-down.

Mobility, displacement, and continuity of care

Dr. Almajali highlighted how mobility, displacement, and migration increase HIV vulnerability across the region. The discussion underscored how fragmented services, legal barriers, and disrupted referral pathways continue to undermine continuity of prevention and treatment for migrants, refugees, and mobile populations. Panelists emphasized the need for regionally coordinated adaptable service delivery models and evidence-based, non-discriminatory approaches that protect continuity of care.

Discussion and Audience Interaction

The webinar examined key challenges and priorities for sustaining HIV prevention, treatment, and care the region, emphasizing integrated, people-centered, and rights-based approaches.

The webinar brought together more than 130 participants and generated an active discussion. Audience questions highlighted strong regional engagement and a shared focus on practical approaches to sustaining HIV impact amid evolving epidemiological and funding challenges.

Watch the webinar here.

Explore more sessions from the EMPHNET WEBi Series here.