Chiefs fine men goats for refusing to test for HIV and Aids

Danisa Masuku
After realising that men were refusing to go for HIV testing, chiefs in Gokwe have introduced a goat fine to encourage them to test regularly.

Monitoring and Evaluation director for National Aids Council, Amon Mpofu (ABOVE), said chiefs were now fining men who refuse to go for HIV testing with their partners to prevent Mother to Child Transmission.

a�?During our outreach programmes we discovered that chiefs in Gokwe are forcing men to go for HIV and Aids testing and those who fail to comply are fined a goat. This has yielded positive results because men in that community are now going for testing during Prevention to Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT) initiatives and even during the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) programme,a�? said Mpofu.

Interestingly, Gokwe is now ranked as the best province in terms of men who test for HIV and Aids.

a�?Male participation in testing in Gokwe for PMCT is at 20 percent while other provinces are below five percent,a�? he said.

He said besides fining men, chiefs convene meetings where they encourage their subjects to go for testing.

Chief Nemangwe said it was a winning strategy.

a�?We realised that most men were reluctant to go for testing, as such we devised a strategy to make them comply. A man who refuses to test is fined a goat,a�? the chief said.