Chronicle Editor
Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
THE media has been challenged to increase focus on HIV and Covid-19 reporting as both are serious public health issues.
Addressing editors and station managers of various media organisations during a National Aids Council workshop held at Chinhoyi University of Technology Hotel, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Cde Kindness Paradza said Covid-19 has the potential to reverse the gains that the country has already recorded in the fight against HIV.
“Despite its devastation and potential to reverse most health and development gains recorded since independence, I am happy that our Government has faced the beast in the eye and achieved some commendable progress in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The anxiety we are experiencing in the country today due to Covid-19 is not totally different from what we experienced when HIV was first identified,” he said.
Cde Paradza said the country managed to formulate a strong response to HIV which has been recognised as a best practice.
He said the HIV and Aids story remains an issue of public interest, which has an undying appeal as a story of both human suffering and hope.
Cde Paradza said HIV/Aids’ relationship with Covid-19 and non- communicable diseases makes it even more appealing and worth pursuing.
“It is imperative to appeal to you as editors and media gatekeepers to increase your focus on HIV and Covid-19. There is a lot more that you must do to ensure that the nation is adequately informed and at the same time empowered to make informed choices.
“As such, I would like to call on you to develop more innovative programmes in packaging HIV and Covid-19 messages to make them more appealing and palatable,” he said.
Cde Paradza hailed the media for the role it has played in disseminating empowering information to the nation about HIV which has seen the country achieve some of its set targets.
He said HIV and Aids coverage must go beyond the statistics and abuse of resources which end up creating stigma of certain groups but must also focus on the voiceless and project the developmental agenda.
“Zimbabwe has been one of the very few countries in both our sub-region and the entire globe to record a convincingly declining HIV prevalence and incidence. At the same time, we have made tremendous progress in providing treatment, care and support to people infected and affected by HIV. I am told that we have already achieved the 90-90-90 targets, something that we should all be proud of,” he said.
Cde Paradza said this target has been met due to political commitment which has seen the formulation of relevant policies such as the establishment of the National Aids Trust Fund and the National Aids Council as well as working with various partners.
He said even though HIV/ Aids has been with the nation for the past 30 years, it was crucial that its agenda is never relegated to the inside pages of newspapers.
Cde Paradza urged the National Aids Council to help media practitioners craft HIV policies as journalists are also at risk.
Nac chief executive officer Dr Bernard Madzima said the advent of Covid-19 affected the organisation’s fight against HIV as they had to suspend their programmes due to lockdown restrictions.
“Although we are still assessing the real impact of Covid-19 and its attendant lockdowns on HIV, indications are that there were disruptions in the accessing of services by people living with HIV, pregnant mothers and the general population especially regarding HIV prevention devices such as condoms,” he said.
Dr Madzima said they had to embrace the response to Covid-19 and mainstream it in their scope of work which saw them allocating resources in the fight against the world pandemic.
He said Nac is now focused on achieving the goal of ending Aids as a public health threat by 2030.
Online Reporter