Govt to scale up HIV treatment

Health and Child Welfare Acting Minister Sydney Sekeramayi has said.
Minister Sekeramayi said lack of resources, as a result of the current economic situation, was hampering Government efforts to provide anti-retroviral drugs in adequate quantities.
He made the remarks during the handover of six CD4 count machines and six hematology analysers to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in Harare yesterday.
Government sourced the machines through the National Aids Council, using Aids levy funds.
“As a result, the country faces a major shortage of CD4 count machines with a national coverage of 48 percent.
“Many health centres at district level can only draw blood but must send the samples to provincial hospitals where the CD4-count machines are normally available.
“I am therefore pleased that NAC is making an investment into this area, and already 24 machines have been procured. Of these, four machines have the capacity to perform up to 400 blood sample tests per day,” said the minister.
He said his ministry was allocating 50 percent of the Aids levy towards the procurement of essential HIV and Aids treatment drugs.
Minister Sekeramayi expressed gratitude to the ZDF for participating in the national response to the pandemic disease.
Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa said the machines would go a long way in helping members of the uniformed forces combat the HIV and Aids scourge as they are among the most “vulnerable and susceptible” groups.
He said members of the uniformed forces were a vulnerable group that needed special targeted interventions.
“The importance of the uniformed forces for social security and peace means that NAC has a stake in ensuring the uniformed forces are kept healthy.
“It is vital to introduce interventions which will help reduce the uniformed forces susceptibility to these communicable diseases and increase rates of transmission,” he said.
He said the equipment would be put to good use.
“We want to assure NAC that as members of the uniformed forces, we continue to fight against HIV and Aids because a high rate of mobility also means that uniformed forces may contract the disease or may transmit such diseases to host populations,” he said.
NAC board chairman Reverend Murombedzi Kuchera said although the country remains saddled with a heavy burden of HIV and Aids, commendable progress had been made in reducing the prevalence rate form 29 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2009.
He said all sectors had been affected by the HIV and Aids scourge, including members of the uniformed forces.
“The decision to procure this equipment for ZDF was not difficult for NAC to make as it signifies our recognition and high regard for the men and women who serve the country with honour and pride.
“The ZDF are a strategic sector that NAC has identified for specific support in the national response,” he said.
Senior Government officials and senior members of the uniformed forces attended the function.