adminTanaka Mahanya
ZIMBABWE will host the 22nd edition of the International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA).
The conference is expected to mitigate stigma and discrimination against PLHIV and their families.
It will be held in December next year and is expected to bring together about 10 000 delegates from close to 150 countries.
Society for Aids in Africa (SAA) is organising the conference in collaboration with the Government.
Speaking at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, ICASA director, Luc Bodea, said the Government has put in place mechanisms to ensure the country hosts ICASA next year.
“There is a need for communities to speak up in order to stop discrimination against people living with HIV.
“Community plays a huge role in ensuring that voices are heard, so that responsible authorities may take action,” he said.
SAA president, David Parirenyatwa, said he is confident the Zimbabwe 2023 ICASA conference will be a success.
“ICASA is not only about HIV/Aids, but also raises awareness on diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and malaria and debilitating effects these diseases have on our communities.
“The advent of Covid-19 pandemic took resources which were meant to cater for HIV/Aids.
“We, therefore, want to refocus, not only on prevention of the diseases, but how we can fund some of our projects,” he said.
He said he was delighted that communities were standing up for themselves in ensuring social justice.
“When the country hosted ICASA in 2015, we managed to launch HIV/Aids self-testing which has become popular up to this day.
“We want to strengthen health systems to integrate high impact interventions on emerging infections,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Network of PLHIV programmes manager, Clarence Mademutsa, said it is the nation’s duty to ensure that services and medication for PLHIV are always available.
“There is a need for community support, especially for adolescents born with HIV/Aids. We must also engage other countries so that we have knowledge of how they are managing,” Mademutsa said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter