Nac donates over $338m to BEAM

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu
[email protected]
The National Aids Council (Nac) has donated more than $300 million to the Zimbabwe Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) as part of its comprehensive HIV prevention programme. BEAM supports orphaned and vulnerable children aged between six and 19 and about 1,8 million children are being assisted under the programme.

Handing over the donation at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), Nac chief executive officer Dr Bernard Madzima said the money is meant to pay fees and other expenses for the vulnerable children so that they continue attending school thereby reducing the risk of contracting HIV.

He commended Zimbabwe’s efforts in meeting global HIV targets saying the country was on track to achieve the 95-95-95 milestone by 2025. This means that 95 percent of infected individuals know their status, 95 percent of those infected are on medication and 95 percent of those on medication achieve viral suppression.

Dr Madzima presented the Nac cheque to Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke, who expressed gratitude for Nac’s support. He noted that the council was the only one contributing consistently to the welfare of vulnerable members of the public.

“I am honoured to hand over our contribution towards BEAM for 2023. This financial assistance is coming from the Nac Trust fund generally known as Aids levy. As a country, we have achieved the 2025 95-95-95 targets and we are so proud of that milestone. Despite this achievement, we are looking at around 500 000 affected children who are orphaned or now vulnerable due to HIV and Aids hence this donation will ensure they have access to shelter, education and food. This donation is part of our comprehensive approach to HIV prevention,” said Dr Madzima.

He stressed the importance of investing in education saying it plays a vital role in determining the outcome of every child.

“For over a decade now we have been contributing towards BEAM and I can safely say we cater for at least 10 percent of the BEAM’s yearly budget. We work towards the reduction of HIV and addressing education needs helps us reduce new infections. This will help us achieve our target of ending Aids as a public health concern by 2030,” said Dr Madzima.

Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence stands at 11,8 percent, with the number of new infections dropping from 24 900 in 2020 to 22 800 in 2021. Despite the country’s achievements in meeting global targets, around 500 000 children are still affected by HIV and AIDS. Nac’s donation will help ensure they have access to shelter education and food thereby reducing their vulnerability to HIV.