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Tadiwa Nyatanga-Pfupa .
ALL roads will on Saturday, 1 December 2018 lead to Rujeko Secondary School in Glendale, Mazowe District of Mashonaland Central, for the commemorations of the World Aids Day (WAD).
The district has specifically been chosen as a venue for the commemorations because it has a high HIV prevalence of 18,6 percent.
The theme for 2018 is: Know your status. The theme comes against a background of HIV infections that continue to be recorded.
Apart from encouraging people to just know their HIV status, this year’s theme has been broadened to call on everyone to get screened for other conditions such as Tuberculosis (TB), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and other non-communicable diseases, chief among them, cancer.
Those who are HIV positive need to know their CD4 count as well as their viral load. Knowing these will lead to Zimbabwe achieving the 90 by 90 by 90 targets by 2020 and ultimately end Aids by 2030.
The 90 by 90 by 90 targets state that 90 percent of all people who are HIV-positive must know their status, 90 percent of all those that are HIV-positive must be on treatment and 90 percent of those that are on treatment must have their viral load suppressed.
Nac and all their partners in the response to HIV continue to call for strengthening of HIV prevention strategies which include HIV Testing and Counselling, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision, Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission, HIV treatment, zero discrimination, no gender-based violence, condom use, among others.
The whole of Africa, Zimbabwe as a country and National Aids Council (Nac) as the co-ordinator of the national response are working flat out to revitalise HIV prevention so as to end Aids by 2030.
Plans for the commemorations are at an advanced stage and different relevant committees are all set for the day.
Stakeholders and implementing partners are ready to exhibit the programmes and services they are offering in the national response to HIV and Aids on the sidelines of the commemorations.
Nac’s Provincial Manager for Mashonaland Central Province, Mr David Nyamurera expressed hope for great commemorations.
“We have so far received tremendous support from most of our stakeholders at both provincial and national levels.
However, we are still requesting for support from the corporate sector, in cash or kind in order to make this day memorable. I am optimistic that the event will be a grand success.”
Mr Nyamurera went on to extend an invitation to all citizens of Zimbabwe.
“Everyone is free to come and take part in the commemorations. Travelling logistics will be unveiled as we draw closer to the day,” he said.
Mashonaland Central has an estimated 99 000 people living with HIV and about 2 940 new HIV infections per year.
Hosting of the event in the country’s 10 provinces is held on a rotational basis. Bulawayo province hosted the 2017 commemorations and for 2016 the venue was Kwekwe in the Midlands province.
Mashonaland Central last hosted the event ten years ago.
The Candlelight Memorial as well as HIV prevention awareness campaigns are some of the activities that will be held ahead of the World Aids Day 2018.
Globally, World Aids Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died due to Aids.
The red “I care” ribbon depicts that we acknowledge that there are people living with HIV and some have died of this disease.
It also reminds us that we should not discriminate against those living with HIV. It gives us hope that a cure will be found, people get tested and get to know their HIV status so that we can end Aids by 2030.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo