Tag: HIV

Door To Door ARV Distribution Model Draws Makoni District Closer To Attaining Third 95

Michael Gwarisa

THE Community Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Treatment Facilitator (CATCF) model, a new ART collection and delivery program, has greatly enhanced HIV treatment adherence through offering door to door delivery of medications to ART clients in Makoni District. By Michael Gwarisa in Makoni District Across Zimbabwe, the CATCF model is currently being implemented only in seven health facilities in Makoni District. These are St Therese Hospital, Matsika Clinic, Masvosva Clinic, Chiduku Clinic, Chinyadza Clinic and Tatseka Clinic. Briefing Journalists during a media tour at St Therese Hospital in Makoni District in Manicaland…

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Forced and Cover Up Marriages Driving HIV Infections In Zimbabwe’s LGBTIQ Community

Michael Gwarisa

THE lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community in Zimbabwe remains one of the hardest hit with new HIV infections due to a myriad of factors chief among them being arranged/forced marriages with heterosexual individuals, homophobia initiated rape and cover up marriages amongst a host of other factors. By Michael Gwarisa Currently there is little information available on LGBTIQ and HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe since the area is still shunned a lot due to institutionalized and societal homophobia, lack of understanding of human sexuality and sexual health…

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Zimbabwe Trains Botswana On Developing HIV Prevention Cascades

Michael Gwarisa

A Zimbabwean delegation comprising of National AIDS Council (NAC) and Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) staff, recently travelled to Botswana to train and assist their counterparts to develop HIV Prevention Cascades. By Michael Gwarisa The training follows bilateral discussions between the two countries facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country office in Botswana who had noted the progress that Zimbabwe had made in developing HIV prevention cascades to inform planning, implementation and tracking of the HIV response in the country. In an interview with HealthTimes, National…

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UNESCO’s flagship O3 Programme Empowers 30 million learners to prevent HIV, reduce EUPs and eliminate GBV

Michael Gwarisa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 4 Mai 2022 — UNESCO’s flagship Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O 3) Programme is holding its Annual Review and Partners’ Meeting from 4 to 6 May 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting will be opened by the Honorable Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education in South Africa. The O 3 Programme, run in partnership with ministries of education and health, supports 33 countries across sub-Saharan Africa to work towards a region where adolescents and young people are empowered, healthy and resilient and have the…

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Supporting HIV services for flood survivors in KwaZulu-Natal

Healthtimes

Since floods killed 440 people and left many thousands more homeless last week in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, UNAIDS has been working with communities, civil society and government leaders to respond. Own Correspondent Together with the UN system in South Africa, donors and other partners, UNAIDS has been urgently evaluating the needs of thousands of people living with HIV who were directly impacted by the flash flooding. Swollen rivers and landslides damaged more than 600 schools and 66 health care facilities, while many homes have been left without running water…

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Zimbabwe’s Aged Persons on ARVs at Greater Risk of NCDs

Michael Gwarisa

HIV and AIDS is slowly becoming an ageing issue in Zimbabwe with indications that majority of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) are those above the age of 50 and are at greater risk of developing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). By Michael Gwarisa Even though the country has been recording a number of new infections amongst young girls and women, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has raised concern over the concentration of PLHIV and ART clients in the 50 and above age range and…

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Male Involvement Component Slows Down PrEP Uptake In Zimbabwe

Michael Gwarisa

POOR health seeking behavior by males, coupled with the patriarchal nature of society has slowed down the uptake of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa PrEP is the use of Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs by HIV-uninfected persons to prevent the acquisition of HIV before exposure to HIV. Most oral PrEP pills contain a combination of two ARVs- tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricatabine. According to data that was shared by the Zimbabwe Association of Church related Hospitals (ZACH) during a virtual media  briefing on PrEP, the uptake of PrEP…

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Manicaland Child Marriage Survivors Find Solace In Economic Strengthening Programs

Michael Gwarisa

DUE to economic hardships and prolonged schools closure at the back of recurrent COVID-19 induced lockdowns, Marvelous Tsambe* (16) from Chikore Village in Chimanimani entered into an early child marriage at the age 14 as an escape from the challenges back home. However, to her surprise, marriage did not bring the much anticipated economic escape. By Michael Gwarisa in Manicaland  Just like most girls her age in her area, Marvelous fell for Majoni-Joni or those young men who illegally cross the border to work in South Africa. Whenever they return…

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5000 Young Women Aged 15–24 Become infected With HIV Every Week

Healthtimes

YOUNG women and girls still constitute the largest proportion of new HIV infections with indications that every week, around 5000 young women aged 15–24 years become infected with HIV, according to the UNAIDS Global AIDS Statistics Fact Sheet. By Staff Reporter According to the report, in sub-Saharan Africa, six in seven new HIV infections among adolescents aged 15–19 years are among girls. Young women aged 15–24 years are twice as likely to be living with HIV than men. Around 4200 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years became infected…

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Onward Gibson Announced As 2022 AVAC Fellow From Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

SEXUAL Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate, Oward Gibson Chironda has together with other seven individuals and organisations been announced as a 2022 AVAC Advocacy Fellow. By Staff Reporter The 2022 AVAC Advocacy Fellows, marks the 12th class of the flagship Fellows Program. The group of eight advocates that have been selected for the 2022 program will participate in an 18-month program that supports their advocacy efforts, invests in the further development of their skills, shapes the agenda for HIV prevention research, and influences how quickly new interventions move into…

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