adminafter her husband passed on, her health started to deteriorate, resulting in her eldest son encouraging her to go for an HIV test. Unfortunately for her, she tested positive for HIV and was immediately put on anti-retroviral therapy.
She was one of the lucky ones who managed to get onto a programme that wasted no time and immediately put her on treatment.
She has been on medication for the last four years and her health has drastically improved. Mai Mushangwe has since revived her active participation in the church, where she doubles up as the choirmaster and the deaconess.
However, this may change as uncertainty hangs over the future of 80 000 people on anti-retroviral therapy in 16 districts in Zimbabwe amid revelations that the donor-funded Expanded Support Programme that has been bankrolling their treatment ends in December.
Mrs Mushangwe is under ESP and says she owes her life to this initiative. So plans by the donor community to end funding for the ESP are certainly a shock to Mai Mushangwe and 80 000 more people, who have benefiting from medication, treatment and care from ESP. The ESP has been one of the key programmes in the scaling up of the response to HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe, complementing national efforts, the Global Fund and the United States government support.
ESP, which has been receiving funding from DFID, Irish Aids, Sida, CIDA and Norway, started in 2007 with a budget of US$80 million and unfortunately has to come to an end this year.
Initially, it was scheduled to run for three years, but had to be extended for another two years, after the donors realised the need for more resources to complement Zimbabwe’s efforts through the National Aids Council, Global Fund and other supporting arms.
The programme has been running in 16 districts, where it was instrumental in the treatment and care of people who are living with HIV and Aids. Some of the districts from which benefited from ESP initiative include Marondera, Hwange, Nkayi Shurugwi, Matobo, Mbire, Guruve, Nyanga and Mutasa. Hwedza, Chikomba, Chirumhanzu, Gutu, Bikita and Mberengwa.
One of the objectives of ESP was to reduce transmission and impact of HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe, through treatment, medication and counselling for people living with HIV and Aids.
About 70 percent of the US$80 million set aside was primarily used for treatment and care, while 22 percent went towards prevention and the rest was for monitoring and evaluation.
Apart from putting 80 000 people on ART – 26 000 of them nationally – ESP, was also instrumental in helping retain the health workforce from about 30 percent in 2008 to about 70 percent in 2010 in these communities.
The feat was achieved through its US$4,5 million support grant mainly meant for the retention scheme for health workers.
A survey carried out by NAC in 2009 revealed that the programme also contributed to the decline in HIV prevalence in the country to 13,6 percent. Those in the health sector can attest that the ESP averted new HIV infections in the districts that it was operating in, through improved health seeking behaviour of communities.
If anything, the existence of ESP was a timely boost for the country, which needed other players to further augment resources meant for people living with HIV and Aids.
Currently, Zimbabwe’s HIV and Aids programmes are being funded by the Global Fund that contributes 47 percent, the National Aids Trust Fund (14 percent), while ESP had been chipping in with 14 percent of the funding required. ESP co-ordinator Mrs Patricia Darikwa said she was quite optimistic that a new donor would be found to ameliorate the situation, and give another new lease of life to the programme.
“The programme has been crucial to the well-being and survival of people living with HIV and Aids. So although we are winding off operations, we remain optimistic that a new donor would be found to continue with the programme,” she said.
Speaking to journalists during a media training workshop organised by NAC in Kadoma recently, she said: “At the moment, we are working on a transition strategy development, which we will give
information on what happens to the different programme components.”
National Aids Council executive director Dr Tapiwa Magure, who is also the co-chair of the Expanded Support Programme, assured the beneficiaries that the Government would not let the programme collapse.
“We have talked to the donors, who have since indicated that they are now moving into health system strengthening, which is a broader project than ESP. However, the Government will not let down all the people who are on the programme and I am quite confident that a solution will soon be found,” he said.
The news of the impending crisis has since been disseminated to the beneficiaries, who like everyone else are baffled by this latest development.
Although NAC and the donor community have assured their continued support, some of the beneficiaries feel that something could have been done earlier.
“Funding was extended two years to ensure that people were not just cut off their ART.
“I am sure something should have been done to ensure that it (ESP) would not just end abruptly without a fallback position,” said a provincial medical director of one of the provinces that have been benefiting under the ESP.
Online Reporter