NAC, uniformed forces in partnership

Support groups in their workplaces.
The uniformed forces are part of the society and one of the most groups affected with the pandemic.
And the workshop held last Friday provided a platform for both parties to come up with mechanisms to deal with the scourge in the force.
NAC co-ordinator, Mr Silibeli Mpofu assured the uniformed forces that his organisation would financially support their HIV and Aids support groups.
“NAC will financially support your HIV and Aids support groups once they become operational and I urge you to employ people living with the pandemic in your support groups because they are the once with the true story regarding the issue of HIV and Aids.
“Your support groups should involve other members of the society who are not members of the uniformed forces”, said Mr Mpofu.
He encouraged members of the force to mobilise funds for these support groups to be vibrant saying the global funding towards the running of such support groups has dwindled.
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces Clinical director Colonel Stanford Chigumira, who is also a medical doctor, said the uniformed forces had HIV and Aids support groups but there was lack of funding for them.
“The uniformed forces have already established HIV and Aids support groups but lack of funding in running those groups is the reason why they seem not be existing,” he said,
Zimbabwe has 13,8 percent HIV and Aids prevalence rate in 2011 down from the previous record of 2,6 percent in 2003.
The reduction is attributed to the behavioural change and the use of anti-retroviral drugs to people living with the disease.