ICASA lives up to its billing

Catherine Murombedzi
THE country is committed to the Abuja Declaration as seen by the domestic funding of AIDS in Zimbabwe through the AIDS levy.

This was said by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he opened the 18th International Conference of AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa on behalf of His Excellency, President Mugabe who was attending a climate conference in Paris. The conference which was officially opened on Sunday evening, November 29 runs to Friday December 4, 2015.

The Vice President underscored the theme of the conference linking leadership, science and human rights in the response to HIV and Aids as strong linkage that can see a win-win solution.

“In Zimbabwe over 800 000 people are on anti retroviral therapy against 1,5 million people living with HIV and Aids and we are working on ensuring that all who need treatment are afforded it,” he said.

“Africa has recorded tremendous progress in ameliorating HIV and Aids effects, however, we should guard against complacency as a continent since we carry 70 percent of the global HIV and Aids burden,” said VP Mnangagwa. He went on to emphasise the importance of working together as no one man is an island.

“HIV and Aids elimination by 2013 and leadership and human rights cannot win the war alone without public and private partnerships. ICASA has provided a platform for dialogue and sharing of ideas,” he added. The Vice President rejected norms and values that do not identify with the African continent.

“We equally reject norms and values that are foreign to our African values. Africa is exhorted to give priorities to its developmental trajectory and overcome its multi faceted present challenges. A conference of this magnitude provides Africa a platform to come up with solutions to tackle STIs and AIDS,” said VP Mnangagwa.

“People living with HIV can today have the same life expectancy as HIV negative people. The epidemic is not yet over and we have faith that the experts continue to move in this research,” he weighed in.

The prevention from mother to child transmission (PMTCT) has seen less children getting infected from the mother and this has been hailed.

“The PMTCT programme has been a success and now infection rate from mother to child has been reduced to 7 percent from a high 30 percent in 2009. We still have to work on this to elimination. Zimbabwe hopes to follow suit in the footsteps of Cuba which has eliminated mother to child transmission HIV by June 2015,” he said.

With commitment by leadership, the private, public partnerships and by people living with HIV this is achievable.

VP Mnangagwa went on to applaud the fall in prices of ARVs and said this will see more people being afforded life-long medication.

“Initially $15 000 was needed to treat a patient annually but now this has gone down to $100 and is plausible and the goal of Ending Aids by 2030 is now a reality,” he concluded.