daniel chigunwe
Africa Moyo in CHINHOYI
Zimbabwe is pacing up consultations regarding the setting up of sustainable local funding for HIV/ AIDS and other diseases such as Tuberculosis to plug the gaps that may arise when donor funding programmes end, Acting Health and Child Care Minister, Professor Paul Mavima has said.
He was speaking here yesterday while officially opening the two-day HIV/ AIDS media workshop for editors and station managers drawn from print and electronic media houses.
Prof Mavima’s remarks come as donors have already drastically reduced funding for regime change activities across the country.
Reliable sources have also said donor funds have been significantly reduced in other sectors such as health and education as wealthy nations channel funds towards the many wars underway in the world.
Europe and the United States are channelling funds towards Ukraine where Russia is conducting a special military operation.
Other wars are also taking place in Sudan, the eastern part of the DR Congo and Israel’s war against Palestinians where over 37 000 people have been killed since October last year.
Prof Mavima said although Zimbabwe has the “home-grown AIDS Levy”, the response was still largely funded by external partners. “It is becoming very imperative that we need sustainable financing and programming mechanisms, hinged on a locally funded response.
“Consultations in this regard have already begun as we urgently need to plug the funding gaps that will emerge when our funding partners pull out.
“The media should follow up on these critical issues and galvanise national opinion towards the need for a sustainable domestic financing mechanism.”
Prof Mavima also spoke about health insurance, and said the people needed to know what is required and the options available.
“Our people need to know and be prepared for the responsibility to shoulder the responsibility of financing our healthcare as a nation.
“I am told that this workshop comes barely a month after some of you participated in a media tour of Mashonaland West province, where you witnessed various HIV interventions and spoke with many people affected by the pandemic.
“As gatekeepers, it is vital for you to appreciate the challenges people living with HIV go through as well as those faced by vulnerable groups in their efforts to remain HIV negative,” he said.
Zimbabwe has achieved key milestones in HIV response, including the reduction of HIV incidence from 0,53 percent in 2016 to 0,47 percent last year.
The HIV prevalence rate has also come down from 13,6 percent in 2016 to 11 percent last year while antiretroviral therapy has been rapidly expanded, as the country pursues the 95-95-95 targets.
Despite the progress, Prof Mavima said HIV remained a public health threat that requires concerted efforts by various sectors to truncate it and coast towards epidemic control.
He said he was impressed that the National Aids Council (NAC) and other partners they coordinate, have continued to recognise the media as a key partner in the HIV response, with a strong influence on human behaviour and a catalyst for positive social change.
“That potential that the media possesses is actually in the hands of the editors and station managers,” he said.
“You therefore have to unleash that potential and ensure that the media scales up its role as we pursue ending AIDS by 2030, in line with NDS1 (National Development Strategy 1) goal of health and well-being and Sustainable Development Goals,” said Prof Mavima.
With the transformation of the media landscape over the years due to technological advancements that have seen innovative information communication technologies broadening the media space and putting power in the hands of the public, the mainstream media should innovate to remain alive in a competitive market “and to ensure that they reach their customers without the boundaries of time and space”.
The media was also challenged to report on other health conditions, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) most of which are associated with HIV. Recently, Zimbabwe and the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic, which the media extensively covered to empower the people.
Director – AIDS and TB Unit, Dr Owen Mugurungi said HIV continues to be more prevalent among women.
Of the over 1,2 million people living with HIV in Zimbabwe, 750 000 are women.
Young people between 15 and 24 years who are living with HIV are 111 192 as at last year, while those from 1 day old to 14 years are 75 000.
Other presentations were made by representatives from UNFPA and Zimbabwe Health Interventions, among others.
The workshop, which ends today, was convened by NAC to equip editors with latest knowledge and information about the response to HIV as a strategy to ensure that HIV remains on the media agenda.
Online Reporter