Online Reporter
Peter Matika and Andile Tshuma
THE 12th edition of the Zimbabwe Uniformed Forces Health Services Annual Conference kicked off in Bulawayo yesterday amid calls for enhanced Government support to bridge the funding gap created by donor fatigue, curb the spread of HIV/Aids and stem other contemporary health threats.
The three-day gathering is being attended by Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) senior officers led by Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda, counterparts from Sadc member states such as Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Angola, as well as delegates from East and West Africa, including Kenya and Nigeria.
The high-level Indaba also seeks to establish a collaborative roadmap towards fighting the HIV/Aids scourge and other infectious diseases in the region.
Various stakeholders in the health sector are also in attendance to discuss urgent and comprehensive prevention and intervention measures to curb the spread of HIV and Aids, drug and substance abuse, among other diseases.
A critical annual event, the conference further highlights the crucial role of uniformed services in public health strategies, with this year’s Indaba running under the theme: “Healthy Uniformed Forces: Addressing HIV/AIDS and Contemporary Health Threats”.
In his official opening remarks, General Sibanda said this year’s theme was a call to action, as the uniformed forces face a dual crisis from the persistent adversaries of HIV and AIDS, drug and substance abuse, mental health strains, other infectious diseases and the impact of climate change and technology.
“These are not isolated challenges. They form a synergetic threat to our servicemen and women, operational readiness and regional security.
“While we commend the strides made by HIV and Aids responses, such as wider access to anti-retroviral therapy, reduced stigma, AIDS education, and affordable intervention, we also note that HIV cases continue to be recorded, although they are few and far apart,” said Gen Sibanda.
He said the uniformed forces remain vulnerable to HIV and AIDS due to high-risk deployments, prolonged separation from families, and stigma barriers.
“Despite the existence of National HIV/AIDS policies in our countries and also while acknowledging success achieved, we should remain seized with the need to fully address the realities our troops face,” said Gen Sibanda.
He urged regional sister countries to prioritise prevention by ensuring stigma-free access to anti-retroviral treatment.
Speaking at the same event, the Director General of Health Services of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Brigadier General Godfrey Mutetse, said the conference is meant to promote research within the uniformed forces.
“It’s out of this research that we craft policies and strategies that help improve the health of our forces and the communities, through collaborations that we have, such as with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, National AIDS Council, and other defence forces from the SADC region,” he said.
Also addressing the conference, National AIDS Council chief executive officer Dr Benard Madzima highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s health systems.
“We have procured cancer medicines for an oncology clinic that was set up at Parirenyatwa Hospital. We have also supported the Government’s analysts’ lab with equipment to carry out forensic work,” he said.
“My understanding was that at that lab, cases were going back as far as 10 years, and some people were in jail waiting for forensic results.”
Dr Madzima emphasised that despite funding challenges, maintaining strong laboratory services and sustaining the HIV programme remains critical.
“In the long term, we need to look at domestic resources because reduced funding is already a reality. There is need for increased Government budget allocation for health, not only in terms of the amount, but also timely disbursements so that the ministry can carry out its procurements effectively,” he added.
Dr Madzima also stressed the importance of integrating HIV services with broader health systems.
“The HIV programme has scored successes and matured over the years. The Ministry of Health can leverage this programme as it deals with other issues, such as non-communicable diseases, new pandemics, and substance and drug abuse,” he said.
“We need programmes with community ownership. We need to innovate, use technology, and, above all, collect data to assess programmes for efficiency, so we know where to invest,” said Dr Madzima.
His remarks, alongside those of ZDF officials, underscore the urgent need for sustained funding, innovation and regional collaboration to address both HIV/AIDS and contemporary health threats facing uniformed forces and communities.
Dr Madzima also highlighted the importance of the conference as a platform for knowledge sharing on issues related to HIV and AIDS, in particular, and other health issues in general.
“We are using evidence-based information on HIV and AIDS, but this year it’s also important because we are discussing health financing and the sustainability of HIV programmes,” he said.
“Funding has been reduced, in fact, funding from the US government has stopped. This has affected our supply chain in terms of ARVs and laboratory commodities and some health workers have been laid off.
“On this platform, we are sharing information between the National AIDS Council, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the uniformed forces to come up with mitigatory measures to address reduced funding,” said Dr Madzima.
“There is also need for the Government to increase budgetary allocations to HIV/AIDS and health in general.”
He noted that uniformed forces, civil servants, and communities near borders face unique challenges, with families often separated due to work commitments.
“The National Aids Council has interventions to help curtail new HIV infections by using prevention programmes that promote behaviour change, abstinence and condom use,” he added.
Stressing the importance of integrating HIV services with broader health systems, he said Government support initiatives have registered successes and matured over the years.
“We need programmes with community ownership. We need to innovate, use technology, and, above all, collect data to assess programmes for efficiency, so we know where to invest,” said Dr Madzima.
