Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
FOR Siphiwe Muleya, a senior village head in the Mtetengwe area of Beitbridge in Ward 7, the biggest benefit of the Community Antiretroviral Therapy Refilling Group model is simple; fewer people are missing medication because of long travelling distances.
“People no longer have to travel long distances to access medication and related services,” she said.
“We are happy to be part of a programme that has brought relief to many community members.
“Many people are now able to share information and even implement income-generating projects to address socio-economic challenges. At the same time, the rate of people defaulting on ART is reducing due to the effect of this model.”
Mtetengwe is among several communities in Matabeleland South embracing the National AIDS Council’s (NAC) Community ART Refilling Group and Out of Community ART Distribution programmes.
The initiative allows stable HIV patients who have disclosed their status to each other to form groups and collect medication through a focal person instead of every member travelling monthly to health facilities.
With Matabeleland South carrying one of the country’s high HIV prevalence rates, long distances to clinics have, for years, affected treatment adherence in remote and resettlement areas.
NAC provincial manager Mr Mgcini Ncube recently said the programme is helping improve treatment adherence, reduce transport costs and decongest clinics.
“CARG streamlines the ART refill process so that stable patients don’t have to travel monthly. It also reduces defaulting, especially in areas where health facilities are limited,” said Mr Ncube during a media tour in Matobo and Beitbridge districts.
“By allowing one member to collect medication for an entire group, typically four to 15 people, CARGs address logistical and clinical barriers in the HIV fight.
“We are rolling out a number of intervention programmes to reduce new infections and also consolidate the gains we have made thus far. Programmes include Sista2Sista, Behaviour Change Community Model and HIV Knows No Borders, among others.”
Mr Ncube said the development is in line with the targeted outcomes of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
He added that while they have noted some “great progress”, they now need to double their efforts going forward.
NAC provincial programmes officer Mr Wilfred Ngwenya said training on the programme had been rolled out across all seven districts in the province.
The programme is also running alongside mobile clinics introduced after the withdrawal of some United States-funded partners.
In Beitbridge, the initiative is being supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under the HIV Knows No Borders programme.
“We are working with other partners in health and community behaviour change to support sexual and reproductive health.
“This started in 2023 to try and improve sexual and reproductive health services for sex workers, migrants and young people, and in Beitbridge we are targeting the migration corridor,” said Mr Nhamo Muleya, the IOM Beitbridge head.
He said the organisation facilitates about 10 mobile clinics monthly, offering services such as ART refill, voluntary testing, family planning, STI treatment and monitoring of non-communicable diseases.
“Since we started the CARG programme in March last year, we have seen a huge change in the attitude and behaviour of people towards HIV/Aids, testing and treatment,” said Mrs Appearance Mudau, a CARG leader from Mtetengwe.
“Previously, the local clinic (Mtetengwe) had been facing a number of ART defaulters due to the distance between villages and also due to the stigma around HIV/Aids.
“However, that has become a thing of the past. Beyond encouraging each other to adhere to ART, we have even started small income-generating projects that include poultry farming and goat rearing.”
She said men were increasingly embracing the programme, helping reduce stigma and treatment defaulting in rural communities.
Traditional leaders have also joined the campaign through the “Not In My Village” initiative, which targets child marriages, drug abuse and risky sexual behaviour.
Chief Matibe of Beitbridge East said traditional leaders now had a responsibility to lead the fight against social ills from the grassroots level.
“We are happy to report that since launching this initiative in our area, we have seen a shift in the behaviour of community members. It is important for us, as traditional leaders who are custodians of the people, to take a leading role in fighting social ills,” said Chief Matibe.
“I want to strongly warn those engaging in sexual intercourse with young children or those in the habit of marrying off their young children or selling drugs within our communities that their days are numbered. It can no longer be business as usual — not in my area, not under my watch.”
In Matobo district, community members said behaviour change programmes were also helping reduce new HIV infections.
“We now have more information about HIV and Aids in our community; we have been attending NAC outreach programmes,” said Mr Thandani Ncube, a member of the Sicelo Mine BCCM group.
“Through the BCCM programme, we have been able to discuss more on HIV-related issues with our peers.
“This is bringing back confidence in men, and we appreciate this programme considering that we live in this area where we have many sexually active people, including artisanal miners and commercial sex workers,” said Killion Mguni.
