Tag: NAC

Ignoring Key Populations Threaten 90 90 90 Targets

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa  LEAVING key Populations (KPs) behind in HIV/AIDS interventions and programs poses a a threat to the ambitious target of reducing HIV prevalence, deaths and new infections  by the year 2020. In Zimbabwe, KPs mean gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and their clients, transgender people and people who inject drugs as the four main key population groups, but it acknowledges that prisoners and people with Disability also are particularly vulnerable to HIV and frequently lack adequate access to services (ZNASP3 )…

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Govt rejects HIV mandatory testing

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By Daniel Phiri GOVERNMENT says it will not follow the example of Zambia by instituting mandatory HIV/Aids testing adding that it’s a violation of human rights. Zambia last month had announced that it was mandatory for people to be tested for HIV/Aids as part of its response strategy to curb the complicated disease. However, after a wave of massive opposition from human rights organisations and civic groups, the decision was reversed. Addressing Online and digital journalists at a workshop organised by the National Aids Council (NAC) recently, head of Aids…

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How I Conquered HIV Stimga : The story of Vangrista Nyambuya

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“I have disclosed my status to my community and to my family and we are living a normal life, people have accepted us for who we are and they even remind me when I forget to take my medication…” By Daniel Phiri THERE are close to 1.3 million people living with HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe and most of them face challenges owing to stigma attached to the disease. However this stigma is based on misconceptions, myths and unverified beliefs and results in society looking down upon HIV/Aids infected people. Stigma has…

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NAC Meets Online journalists

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…as digital news takes centre stage By Daniel Phiri NATIONAL Aids Council (NAC) says it has decided to hold an HIV and Aids media workshop for digital and online journalists because it has realised that their articles have a wider reach. New media has literally taken over the way information is communicated with the world slowly turning to the digital space for almost everything including news. Zimbabwe has many online newspapers operating in and outside the country, owing to huge operational costs involved in running print media. Addressing the media…

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Aids Levy Collections Shrink

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By Michael Gwarisa HIGH informalisation of the economy and massive company closures alongside job cuts have had an adverse impact on Aids Levy collections, a National Aids Council (NAC) official has said. According to NAC’s Accounting officer Godfrey Mzari, collections to the AIDS Levy have been on a downward trend since the year 2014 and 2017 is likely to be even worse. “Currently, the AIDS levy is being collected from the formal sector, by formal sector we mean registered employees. Its collected by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and disbursed…

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#BREAKING: NAC Targets Informal Sector Over AIDS Levy

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By Michael Gwarisa THE National Aids Council (NAC) is engaging government and policy makers to consider taxing the informal sector in a bid to beef up the Aids Levy coffers which are reportedly dwindling. Briefing Journalists during a Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) media engagement meeting in the capital, NAC’s National Advocacy Coordinator Trust Govera said AIDS levy collections fell in 2016 and measures were currently underway to increase domestic financing for HIV related programs and taxing the informal sector was one of them. “Government is in the process…

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Zim ARV Shortage Could Trigger Massive Drug Resistance

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By Michael Gwarisa  ZIMBABWE today (21/08/2017) woke up to devastating news that the country’s public health and pharmaceutical institutions have been hit by massive Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drug shortages. According to an article in the Herald, HIV positive people on second line Abacavir ARV drugs are the most affected and they are being given a week’s supply of the drug instead of the traditional three moths supply due to stock outs. It is believed that the huge stock outs and shortages in drug supplies are being exacerbated by the…

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Stigma: The Curse of Old People Living With HIV

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By Michael Gwarisa “Go away old granny, How does someone your age get HIV, like seriously, where did you get the virus anyway?” These are some of the harsh realities older people living with the HIV virus in Zimbabwe encounter at health care centers on daily basis. In most cases, senior citizens surviving with the virus are denied access to medicines and life saving Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs, exposing them to even worse catastrophic circumstances such as developing HIV drug resistance. Gogo  Rudo Tenenga (67) of Chitungwiza has lived…

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Prophets Fueling HIV Drug Resistance

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…As Zimbabwe Faces Worst Health Time Bomb…ART could Cost $6.5 billion in 2030 due HIV Drug Resistance!!!   By Michael Gwarisa LOCAL prophets who claim to have healing powers over AIDS should desist from doing so, as their claims have seen a number of HIV positive individuals on Anti Retro-viral Treatment (ART) stopping their  medication , hence fueling HIV drug resistance, a top health expert has said. The call comes hot on the heels of a World Health Organisation (WHO) warning over increased cases of an  HIV Drug Resistant  virus…

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Universities Ignoring Students Health Needs- NAC

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa in Kadoma  THE National Aids Council (NAC), has castigated local Universities for  embarking on expansion projects without considering issues of complimentary health care services for students. Zimbabwe has over the years seen a number of Universities expanding their operations into other localities owing to increased demand of tertiary education amongst Zimbabweans. The Midlands State University (MSU) opened a new campus in Zvishavane in 2015 and recently another one in Harare as it aims to take its services to various parts of the country. Addressing Journalists, NAC, DREAMS Director,…

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