Fungai Lupande

Mashonaland Central Bureau

THIS year’s World Aids Day commemorations in Mashonaland Central celebrated Zimbabwe’s significant progress in the fight against HIV and Aids, with testing, treatment and care increasingly being taken closer to communities through clinics, mobile health services and community-based programmes.

The commemorations, held recently at Rutope Secondary School in the Musiiwa area of Bindura Rural, highlighted the growing accessibility of HIV services, particularly for people living in remote communities.

The advances in HIV prevention and treatment have also enabled people living with the virus to lead longer and healthier lives.

The provincial maternal and child health officer, Dr Terrence Musekiwa, who was representing the Provincial Medical Director, Dr Clemence Tshuma, said Zimbabwe had made remarkable strides in its HIV response, moving from an era when treatment was unavailable and an HIV diagnosis was often regarded as a death sentence to one where people can access life-saving medication soon after diagnosis.

He said the country had also moved from highly restricted access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to a policy of initiating treatment immediately after a person tests positive for HIV.

“Eventually, we reached a stage where we said everyone, once diagnosed with HIV, should immediately be initiated on treatment. And that is where we are today,” he said.

The transformation, he said, was not limited to treatment, but also included major advances in HIV prevention.

Zimbabwe has moved from relying mainly on condoms and abstinence to offering oral PrEP, injectable PrEP and longer-acting prevention options, giving people more choices to protect themselves from HIV.

Dr Musekiwa said the introduction of longer-acting injectable options represented another milestone in the country’s HIV response.

He also urged communities to rely on credible information from the Ministry of Health and other official sources, particularly during periods of disruption, warning that misinformation could cause unnecessary panic and lead people to hoard medicines.

National AIDS Council acting provincial manager Mr Levison Chamboko said World AIDS Day had evolved significantly since it was first observed in 1988.

He said the day was initially associated with raising awareness about HIV and AIDS and mobilising communities and governments to respond to the epidemic.

However, at the height of Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic, the day was strongly associated with death, funerals, stigma and fear.

As treatment became more widely available, the focus shifted towards prevention, treatment, reducing stigma, supporting people living with HIV and celebrating progress.

“World AIDS Day had become a national campaign involving Government, communities, development partners, civil society, people living with HIV, traditional and religious leaders, schools, the private sector and the media,” said Mr Chamboko.

He said the annual commemorations provided Zimbabwe with an opportunity to reflect on its HIV journey while renewing its commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat.

Representing Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Christopher Magomo, director of coordination Mr Kudzai Chimusoro said Mashonaland Central had made significant progress in taking HIV services closer to communities.

He said mobile clinics were helping bring testing, treatment and other health services directly to people, reducing barriers to accessing care.

“As you saw today, those present are moving around with mobile clinics, testing us and providing us with medication, which means help is right before our eyes,” he said.

Mr Chimusoro said the province was also strengthening prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, expanding treatment for children and adolescents and improving differentiated service delivery models.

He said Zimbabwe was preparing for the introduction of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable medicine with the potential to transform HIV prevention and treatment.

Provincial AIDS Action Committee chairperson Senator Angeline Tongogara said the progress achieved in Zimbabwe demonstrated the power of coordinated action.

Senator Tongogara was represented by Ms Moreni Masanzu.

She said the country had significantly reduced new HIV infections, expanded access to antiretroviral therapy and achieved the global 95-95-95 Fast-Track targets.

Senator Tongogara paid tribute to community adolescent treatment supporters, expert clients, village health workers, peer educators and other volunteers who continue to ensure that health services reach people in their communities.

She said the availability of mobile clinics meant people could access testing and treatment closer to their homes.

The senator, however, warned that despite the progress, the country could not afford to become complacent.

New HIV infections, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, drug and substance abuse, stigma and discrimination remain challenges that require sustained intervention.

She called for families, schools, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, private companies, civil society and communities to work together to protect young people and sustain the gains made in the HIV response.

The commemorations, therefore, marked more than a remembrance of people who lost their lives to Aids.

They celebrated a remarkable transformation, from a time when HIV was widely feared as a death sentence to an era where treatment is available, prevention options are expanding, and health services are increasingly being taken to the doorsteps of communities.