Category: HIV/AIDS

Harare City Signs Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities To End AIDS By 2030

Michael Gwarisa

THE City of Harare today joined 350 other Cities globally who in signing the declaration on Fast-Track Cities and commit to Ending AIDS by the year 2030. By Michael Gwarisa The Fast-Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities with an HIV burden and four core partners: the City of Paris, France,( the first city to sign on the initiative); the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC); and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat Making his commitment, Acting…

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Fulfilling Our Promise to adolescents and young people

Healthtimes

My years of work in HIV prevention have taught me a few things. Among them, one of the important things I have learnt is that if people do not know how to protect themselves or how to access treatment, they will not be able to prevent HIV or lead happy and fulfilling lives with HIV. Therefore, information and education is key. But its not the only thing needed. I might have the information that unsafe sex may expose me to HIV or other STIs, but I may still go ahead…

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Fighting HIV in the Midst of COVID-19 – Consolidating Gains, Increasing Investments!

Healthtimes

JUST as was the case in 2020, we commemorate this year’s World Aids Day (WAD) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, is likely to shadow this year’s commemorations. The drowning of HIV by COVID-19 is likely to shift political attention and financing away from efforts to consolidate the gains made in the fight against HIV over the years. By Paul Sixpence As we commemorate this year’s WAD and contend with COVID-19, we should never lose sight of our collective obligation to…

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Zimbabwe Urged To Invest Heavily Towards Biomedical HIV Prevention Research

Michael Gwarisa

THERE is need for Zimbabwe to mobilise domestic financial and technical resources for the purposes of enhancing HIV Biomedical research and development, experts have said. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during a mini Biomedical HIV-Prevention Forum (BHPF) that was held in Harare.  The Biennial Forum is an official pre-conference of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs      in Africa (ICASA). The BHPF in 2021 is the fifth such event, following the successful events hosted in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Three countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Rwanda will be hosting…

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A 2nd person has been ‘naturally’ cured of HIV without medical intervention, scientists say

Healthtimes

Scientists have identified the second person to rid themselves of HIV without medical treatment, according to an article published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The patient, an unnamed woman living in Argentina, was found to have human immunodeficiency virus in 2013. Since 2017, an international team of researchers has been poring over the patient’s DNA in search of traces of the virus. The team even checked her placenta after she gave birth in March 2020, STAT reported. After sequencing billions of cells, the scientists have confirmed the woman…

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Zimbabwe On The Verge Of Decriminalizing HIV Transmission

Michael Gwarisa

FOLLOWING massive lobbying and advocacy from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), parliament, the media and some quasi government institutions, Zimbabwe is at the cusp of decriminalizing wilful or deliberate transmission of HIV. By Michael Gwarisa This was revealed during the launch of a Media Tool Kit on HIV criminalization by the Health Law & Policy Consortium in Harare. The decriminalization of HIV in Zimbabwe is tied to the Marriages Bill, Section 53 (2) which if enacted, will result in the repeal of Section 79 of the Criminal Law Code which criminalizes…

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Race affecting HIV service provision in the United States of America

Michael Gwarisa

HIV service disparities by race have been documented in several parts of the developed world. In the United States of America, black people account for a disproportionately large percentage of new HIV infections in the country: 41% in 2019, although they represent only about 13% of the national population. This is in part due to lower coverage of HIV prevention services. Just 8% of black Americans and 14% of Hispanics/Latinos who were eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis were prescribed it, compared to 63% of whites. Studies also report significant racial disparities…

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ZNFPC, Partners Launches HIV Prevention Program For Young Girls and Women

Michael Gwarisa

IN a move that is meant to reduce new HIV infections in young people in Southern Africa, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) and its partners Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) and Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA) have introduced a project that will integrate HIV prevention methods with Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and their partners. By Patricia Mashiri The USD$100 872.00 SADC member countries resource mobilization initiative, is a two year funded project which is aimed at building capacity for…

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Key Population Groups Remain Target For Stigma and Violence

Healthtimes

KEY population (KPs) remain a target of violence and stigma and discrimination in communities they live and work in despite numerous awareness campaigns that have been held to raise awareness against discrimination of the groups. By Patricia Mashiri The discrimination and stigma has extended in such a way that the communities struggle to access public health services which a basic right for every Zimbabwean citizen regardless of identity, profession color or creed. Speaking during a 2 day Journalist HIV/AIDS workshop by the National AIDS Council (NAC), the NAC Community, Key…

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Journalists Critical In ART Adherence Information Dissemination

Healthtimes

Journalists have been identified as an important vehicle  in communicating and raising awareness around Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) adherence, a top government official has said. By Patricia Mashiri recently in Chinhoyi Speaking during a National AIDS Council (NAC) media workshop aimed at informing capacitating Journalists on HIV/AIDS reporting,  Dr John Mangwiro, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care said there was need to come up with innovative means of communicating the HIV and ART adherence message. I implore the media to have to make sure that it fulfills its developmental…

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