Some of the individuals and representatives of organisations who were awarded
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Communities are doing a lot of work in terms of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and they need to be appreciated for the major role they are playing, Health Fonds Trust, National Coordinator, Tatenda Cole Chigwada, has said. Chigwada revealed this at the first edition of the SRHR Community Awards which were held in the capital last week. Health Fonds Trust in partnership with Sex Workers Empowered Advocating for their Rights (SWEAR) with support from Aids and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) and Aids Fonds held the awards ceremony. The awards were meant to recognise individuals and organisations who have made an impact on work around Sexual Reproductive Health And Rights HIV related issues for key populations and young people living and affected by HIV. “We noticed that communities are doing a lot of work in terms of SRHR so we thought we need to show our appreciation for the work being done. “This is meant to celebrate them and to boost their morale and to give them credit for the wonderful work. “This is the beginning,” said Chigwada in his opening remarks at the awards. The awards were graced by officials from National AIDS Council, CeSHHAR Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe AIDS Network.
The Award Categories were as follows :
Advocate of the Year Award – Leeroy Gumpo from Bulawayo.
Innovation in HIV Prevention Award – Ceshhar Zimbabwe.
Outstanding Community outreach awards – Gumisayi Bonzo.
Youth Leadeship in SRHR Award – Tatenda Chigwada.
Excellence in Research and Education Award – Youth Gate Zimbabwe Trust.
Stigma Reduction Champion Award – Chipiwa Mugabe.
Health Care Provider of the Year Award – Mavis Makurira From Populations Solutions For Health.
Adherence Champion Award – Chipiwa Mugabe from Masvingo.
Prep Champion Award – Primrose Kavhumbura.
Most Promising Upcoming Organisation award – Swear Zimbabwe.
U=U Champion – Learnmore Chikwewo.
Ally of the Community Award – Takudzwa R Zingwanda.
District Aids Coordinator of the Year Award – Getrude Gatsi from National Aids Council
Community Inclusion Champion of the Year Award – Blessed Nodza.
Leadership in Service Award – Ambassador Onward Gibson from My Age Zimbabwe, Masvingo.
Innovator in Community Service Award – Thapelo Wilson from Mash Central.
Women Empowerment leadership award – Mary Audry Chard.
The work to end AIDS by 2030 goes beyond international conferences as there is more work to be done which needs total dedication of everyone concerned, Disability Youth Advocate, Takavinya Yolanda Munyengwa has revealed.
Munyengwa was speaking at the recent International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) which was held at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.
The theme for ICASA 2023 was “AIDS IS NOT OVER: Address inequalities, accelerate inclusion and innovation.”
“Let us be reminded that our work extends beyond these conference walls.
“It extends to clinics, health facilities, community spaces and countries across the globe.
“We must engage policymakers, healthcare providers, researchers, and civil society organizations in our pursuit to end AIDS by 2030.
“By uniting our voices and resources, we can drive meaningful change and create an inclusive environment that supports, diversity of young women and girls, people with disabilities, women, key populations and all those affected by this devastating disease.
“As we gather here today, let us renew our commitment to the cause. Let us revolutionize prevention strategies, enhance access to treatment, and eliminate the stigma and discrimination and criminalization associated with HIV/AIDS,” she said.
Munyengwa further revealed that all inequalities had to be addressed because time is running out as she also reiterated that the journey towards ending AIDS by 2030 required working together being resilient.
“Let us address inequalities, knowing that time is of the essence and let us accelerate inclusion and innovation recognizing that our ability to adapt and overcome will redefine our success in the face of future challenges.
“Together, we have the power to transform lives, communities, and nations.
“Let us leave this conference not only inspired but equipped with the tools, knowledge, and renewed determination to create a world free from stigma, discrimination, criminalization because this is how we will END AIDS by 2023.”
She added, “by accelerating progress, we can ensure that the goals we have set are achieved swiftly and effectively.
“We must move forward with a sense of urgency, leaving no one behind, and providing access to life-saving treatments and prevention methods to all those in need.
“Building resilience is equally important as we face a rapidly changing landscape in the field of HIV/AIDS. We must anticipate and adapt to the evolving challenges that arise. Our resilience lies in our ability to learn from past experiences, embrace new technologies, and empower communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
“By building resilience, we can withstand any obstacles that come our way and guarantee the sustainability of our efforts for generations to come.”
Munyengwa further revealed that ICASA 2023 serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and introspection, hence delegates had to seize the opportunity to share insights, foster partnerships, and strengthen our resolve to fight against HIV/AIDS.
“Together, we can amplify our impact and ensure that progress is not hindered by any barriers, whether they are social, economic, or cultural.
“The theme for this conference resonates deeply with the current situation for PLHIV.
“It highlights the urgent need to not only make progress in combating HIV/AIDS but also emphasizes the importance of addressing inequalities and accelerate the inclusion of people left behind such as key populations, young people and children to close the gap and end AIDS by 2023.
“We find ourselves at a crucial juncture where our collective efforts are the key to shaping a brighter future,” she added.
Some of the Seke High 1 students receiving their winners’ medals
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) awareness high schools soccer tournament which was part of the continental celebration of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2023 in Harare, lived to its expectations as many people from different community backgrounds attended.
The tournament which was held at Prince Edward High School on Sunday (November 19), saw several schools battling out for the honours but the glory was to belong to Seke High 1 who were crowned champions.
Seke High 1 defeated Glen Norah 2 High in finals which were decided by the dreaded penalties.
Speaking on the sidelines of the final match, Dr Mohamed Sirdar, Sub Regional Programme Coordinator for Southern Africa at World Health Organisation for Animal Health, said he was happy that the event lived to their expectations.
“The soccer tournament was creating awareness on antimicrobial resistance and its effect on our health systems, either for the humans, animals and environmental plants.
“And we hope that awareness to the high school pupils or students is one of the powerful tools so that we can have the message spread in the community and thats why we chose football for the high schools for this tournament to be able to enhance awareness on AMR in Zimbabwe.”
Dr Sirdar added that having many people from various community backgrounds was the icing on the cake as the message was being delivered to many people.
“Given that we have almost 500 spectators, having people from different community backgrounds and also we are happy one of the football legends Oscar (Machapa) is here with us and having also some of our representatives from all these organisations.
“So I can say we believe that we have exceeded our expectations,” said Dr Sirdar.
And indeed the AMR message was really being emphasized at the tournament as the talented soccer commentator was also spreading the message as he went about his commentary much to the appreciation of the crowd.
And the message was also clearly spread to the students as some of those interviewed by this reporter spoke on the dangers of abusing medication.
“This subject (AMR) was new to me but I’m happy that I have learnt that we should not self medicate, I have also learnt that I should use the right medication for the disease and only after being prescribed by the doctor,” said one student.
Zimbabwe with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in partnership with African Union agencies, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR) is hosting WAAW 2023 with several events lined up.
The commemorations which started on November 18 and will end this Friday, are running under the theme, “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”, which emphasizes the importance of collective action to address the global health challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka will officially launch the World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week (WAAW) which will be held in Harare from today till Friday, at the Harare International Conference Centre. The week-long event will see the Government getting support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in partnership with African Union agencies, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR) to host the continental celebrations. The commemorations will run under the theme, “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together” which emphasizes the importance of collective action to address the global health challenge of antimicrobial resistance. During the opening ceremony, the government will also hold a signing ceremony for the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (NAP). “The WAAW week is an annual global event that aims to enhance awareness and understanding of the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance while promoting best practices in antimicrobial stewardship across public health, animal health, and the environment. “The quadripartite organizations and the Africa Union Task Force on AMR are working together in a One Health approach to organize this year’s event and translate the theme into action. “These celebrations will involve the coordination of campaigns at both national and continental levels by engaging diverse stakeholders from around the world. “The continental event is scheduled to commence on 18 November 2023 and will bring together a wide array of important participants and stakeholder groups. “These will include high-level policy and decision-makers of Member States, Regional Economic Communities, the One Health Community, development partners, private sector partners, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), civil society organizations, academia, research institutions, research centres and the general public,” read a press release from the organizers. Other activities during the WAAW will include: media briefings and press conferences, a ‘world café’ debate on AMR and correct use, an engagement with high school students on AMR awareness including a mini football tournament, a high-level panel discussion on AMR’s environmental dimensions, policy dialogues on accelerating progress in African countries in the implementation of AMR National Action Plans, AMR One Health multisectoral collaboration and governance, AMR in aquaculture, and laboratory and field visits, including visiting the BOLAV Vaccine Production Unit, a BOLVAC Theileriosis Vaccination hotspot and a Farmer Field School farm. “WAAW serves as a platform for collaboration amongst stakeholders in the fight against the emergence and spread of AMR. “It provides a valuable opportunity to enhance awareness and advocate for AMR risk mitigation efforts across sectors. This event also demonstrates continental unity and positions Africa as the leading region in combatting AMR while reinforcing critical messages to generate more collective policy guidance and support for the advancement of programmes aimed at reducing AMR risks,” added the press release.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
All systems are in place for the country to host the 22nd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa at the Harare International Conference Centre, Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said.
Minister Mombeshora revealed that all was being arranged to make sure that the conference which will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December, lives up to its billing.
“All our systems from security, banking, accommodation, transportation, health and others have been checked and tested and I want to assure our visitors that Zimbabwe is ready.
“The security of delegates is guaranteed both in Harare and elsewhere as they go out about attending the conference and enjoy our rich heritage across the world acclaimed tourist destinations.
“We have also strengthened the health delivery and surveillance systems to ensure that our visitors and locals have access to needed health services,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He also allayed cholera fears, saying the isolated cases were being dealt with adequately, as he further praised the country’s surveillance system saying it is exceptionally effective and has picked all cases which have all since been treated.
Dr Mombeshora also revealed that it was an honour that the country will be hosting two high level meetings as a precursor to ICASA.
“We are very excited as government about the two high level meetings which we are going to host on the 2nd of December in Victoria Falls as part of the build up towards ICASA.
“We will have a meeting of African First Ladies to be hosted by our First Lady Her Excellency Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.
“This meeting will focus on addressing prevention of mother to child transmission and elimination of newborn infections in Africa.
“On the same day, we will also host the African Ministers of Finance who will attend a meeting focusing on addressing domestic financing of the HIV response to reach the UN 2025 Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.
“As you are aware, Zimbabwe has already been praised globally for the home grown domestic funding initiative in the form of the National AIDS Trust Fund popularly known AIDS Levy.
“We are therefore very proud to be hosting this meeting to share our best practice while learning from the rest of the continent on other initiatives that all together can increase Africa’s domestic financing of HIV and other epidemics without totally relying on external funds.
“These two meetings will come just a day after Zimbabwe will have commemorated the World AIDS Day which we will have in Victoria Falls at Chinotimba Stadium.
“ICASA delegates who will already be in the country and are able to finance their trips to Victoria Falls are invited to attend the World AIDS Day commemorations which are going to be held under the theme, “Let Communities Lead,” he added.
He further reiterated all transport logistics and accommodation had been arranged to ensure that the conference goes on without any challenges.
The conference will be running under the theme “AIDS is not over: address inequalities, accelerate inclusion and innovation.”
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect 13 370 units of blood as the demand increases during the festive season due to home and road accidents.
This was revealed by NBSZ Chief Executive Officer Lucy Marowa on Monday as she launched her organisation’s festive season campaign for blood collections.
The campaign started on the second week of November and ends on the first week of January next year, throughout the country and NBSZ is targeting to have 81 sessions.
Marowa revealed that NBSZ operates from five branches, namely Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru and Mutare.
And from these five sites, they are targeting 28 sessions in Harare, 10 sessions each in Bulawayo and Gweru, 17 sessions in Masvingo and 16 in Mutare and they hope to collect a total 13 370 units.
NBSZ estimates that these units should be enough to take us through to the month of January.
“Year in, year out, we always do these festive season campaigns. Why do we do it, because year in, year out, statistics show us that during the festive season, the need for blood is heightened.
“The need for blood is heightened due to accidents not only on the roads but even in our households.
“Festive season is a time for merrymaking and with merry making, comes a lot of accidents that happen in the home; accidents that also happen on the roads as people travel to and from their homes to the various places to meet with friends and family.
“And with that, there is a burden on the blood supply. And as National Blood Service Zimbabwe, it is our responsibility to make sure that the nation has adequate stocks of blood during this festive season,” said Marowa.
She added that the need for more blood during the festive season also coincides with the closure of schools after the third term.
Marowa further added that this is a difficult time for blood collections because this is the time when Form Fours and Sixes are writing their examinations and such, blood collections are low from the schools.
“When our collections are lower during the term and we do not take the right step to prepare for the festive season, it means that we will get into the festive season without adequate stocks and this coupled with the heightened need for blood, is a recipe for disaster.
“Which is why as National Blood Service Zimbabwe we take it upon ourselves, year in, year out to partner with various organisations, various individuals and anyone that is prepared to help the nation through campaigning for more blood donors from the school leavers, from the adult communities in order for us to boost the stocks between the month of November and January to make sure that we have enough stocks to tide us over until schools reopen in January.
“However it is only possible when both adults and school leavers alike come together and donate blood.
“When it comes to school leavers, we will have a targeted approach where we will call them to specific sites, through our database and bring them all together, especially in the month of June, which we have dubbed our youth donor month.
“With the adults, we will specifically look at their work places, partnering with their employers and come to them as and when we can.
“Therefore we call upon the corporates community to support us in any way they can, any level of support is possible,” added Marowa.
She further revealed that corporates can support them by mobilizing a blood drive at their organisations if the numbers are sufficient.
And they can also support them through sponsoring a blood drive as Marowa reiterated “any form of sponsorship is welcome in terms of donor refreshments, tokens of appreciation, fuel for blood collection, anything and everything is welcome.”
There is need to highlight HIV prevention campaigns in elderly patients, as it has been noted that there is an emerging challenge of increasing number of people aged 50 and above living with the virus, an HIV Clinician has revealed.
Doctor Cleophas Chimbetete revealed this on Tuesday during a media science cafe on “HIV and Ageing”, organised by the Health Communicators Forum and the Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre.
He revealed that over the years, there seems to have been more focus on the younger generation, whilst a lot of issues concerning the elderly patients were emerging.
“There is a realisation that there is an emerging challenge of more and more elderly patients living with HIV in their old age, so in terms of strategies to address this problem number one; we need to highlight HIV prevention even in elderly patients.
“Those of us who are involved in HIV prevention campaigns such as PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis), such as circumcision, whatever form of HIV prevention campaigns, let’s include the elderly as well.
“Realizing that they remain at risk of new infections,” said Dr Chimbetete.
He further revealed that as elderly patients visit health institutions for any other medical reasons, personnel should offer HIV testing, so that they (elderly patients) are not left behind.
“Number two; when we see elderly patients coming to our hospitals, facilities, for whatever medical reason; let’s offer HIV testing because we have noticed a delay in HIV diagnosis.
“Because some of the symptoms of HIV infections in this age group, they mimic old age and they are just dismissed as part of the ageing process and we don’t want late diagnosis of HIV in this generation of people.
“We also realise that HIV is a risk factor for a number of other conditions, so people living with HIV in old age are more likely to have other conditions such as hypertension, such as diabetes, mental health issues, such as also being at greater risk of cancers such as cervical cancer.
“So us as care providers we must now offer a holistic approach or comprehensive approach to the care of elderly patients.
“We don’t want OI (Opportunistic Infections) clinics that just look at viral loads, without BP machines, without glucometers to test blood sugar.
“We don’t want health care workers who only understand HIV management and not understand our national guidelines in terms of how we manage hypertension, how we manage diabetes, how we screen for common cancers. “So we want a holistic approach, we are offering free services for HIV clients and these services must also mean that we offer free treatment where possible for these common non communicable conditions,” added Dr Chimbetete.
Dr Trevor Kanyowa
Doctor Trevor Kanyowa, World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe, Technical Lead Healthier Populations, said the trend of a number of older people living with HIV is being noticed, not only locally but regionally and globally.
“This is mainly because of two reasons; the first reason is that we now have effective anti retroviral medicines of high quality and these medicines are enabling people to live healthier and longer lives.
“So we have people who acquired the HIV virus even before they had aged, managing to grow into the older age groups still living with the virus but living healthy and longer lives.
“The other reason is that whilst we know that even at younger age groups, HIV is still being acquired, we have also noticed that the risk of acquiring it in older ages has also increased, this is for a number of reasons.
“The reasons include the issue of the information that people have, for example there is a general belief that HIV is for younger people so therefore older people are less likely to use protective measures as compared to the other age groups.
“We also notice that for instance, older persons may lose a partner and then may opt to go into a new relationship, they may opt to marry or opt to live with a boyfriend or a girlfriend but there is not that much effort to check one’s status in that age group and as a consequence, they acquire the infections.
In 2022 UNAIDS estimated that 24 percent or 4,2 million of people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally were aged 50 years and older and in Zimbabwe, 22 percent of PLHIV (28 407) are 50 years and older.
“So these are the main things that are making us see that we have HIV rates increasing in the older age groups,” said Dr Kanyowa.
He also revealed that it has been noticed that the figures of young people acquiring HIV are dropping, whilst the population with HIV in the older age group is rising.
“If you then look at it as a proportion, it will appear very much bigger in the older age group.
“This is what we are noticing and these trends are what we need to focus our responses on,” added Dr Kanyowa.
Dr Parirenyatwa (left) and Dr Madzima during Monday’s curtain raiser press conference on ICASA
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The fight against HIV and AIDS is not yet over as there are still new infections emerging, while Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) remain a major health issue, a health official has said.
Doctor David Parirenyatwa, president of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) official organisers of International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) revealed this on Monday during the curtain-raiser press conference of the 22nd ICASA.
The 22nd ICASA will be held in Harare from 4-9 December.
Dr Parirenyatwa also revealed that ICASA will be preceded by two highly level meetings on the 2nd of December, one will be looking at the elimination of mother to child transmission and will be spearheaded by the First Ladies within the Africa Region.
And also on the same day, there will be another meeting of Ministers of Finance to discuss issues of how finances can be raised to enable the fight against HIV, TB, Malaria and other infectious diseases.
“Just to say Zimbabwe is fully ready to receive the possible 8 000 participants who would be coming to attend this meeting here in Harare.
“And we are very clear in our minds that the fight against HIV and AIDS must continue because as our theme says, “AIDS is not yet over” , so we need to continue to fight HIV and AIDS.
“There has been apparent complacency in the fight against HIV, people are now saying well I think we have done enough for HIV but I want to remind ourselves that there are still infections that are happening especially among the youths on HIV and AIDS.
“Therefore we must continue to look at the key areas where we must fight HIV and AIDS,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He also revealed that the invite (to attend ICASA) is for many other participants especially those that are contributing towards the fight against HIV and AIDS in their institutions.
Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora who is also the ICASA 2023 vice president, in a presentation made on his behalf by his Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze, said all was in place for the country to host the conference.
He further revealed that the programme is ready and all government systems and structures from security, banking, accommodation, transportation, health and others have been mobilised to provide the necessary support and services, before and during the conference.
“All delegates are assured that Zimbabwe remains a peaceful destination and their security will be assured.
“Our providers of accommodation services are all ready and capable to meet the various requirements of the visitors.
“Our health systems and services have also been mobilised to ensure that both visitors and locals have access to the needed services during the conference,” said Dr Mombeshora.
Turning onto the issue of Cholera which is a current issue in some parts of the country, Dr Mombeshora said, “I wish to assure you all and our visitors that the isolated outbreak is being contained and our surveillance system is exceptionally effective and has picked all cases and have been treated.”
National AIDS Council Chief Executive Officer Dr Bernard Madzima, who is also the head of the 22nd ICASA local secretariat, also reiterated that the country was prepared in terms of transportation, both ground and air and accommodation to receive the visitors.
“We have made sure that we have an efficient transport system both on the ground and in air; we have a steady inflow of airlines which are adequate to cover for our visitors and we have also mobilised ground transport services at an agreed standard fare.
“As such all designated vehicles for pick ups and drop off points will be marked.
“We have put solid packages (accommodation) for all delegates; they are advised to log onto the ICASA website,” he said.
Dr Madzima further said visitors were also encouraged to experience the prowess of Africa and its unending cultural and entertainment appeal.
He said Zimbabwe had profound and magnificent tourist destinations which include the Victoria Falls, the Great Zimbabwe itself, the Manna Pools and various parks, some which are close to Harare, which they could also visit.
“We want to encourage our delegates to take time before and after the conference to visit these places and experience Zimbabwe’s real cultural and natural wonders,” he said.
Dapivirine vaginal ring should be rolled out to the general public
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The dapivirine vaginal ring which has proved to be an effective HIV prevention tool should be rolled out to the general public so as to give people more options in the fight against the epidemic, a Kenyan Behavioural Scientist and Public Health Expert has revealed.
Doctor Daniel Were revealed this in Nairobi during a recent media symposium with senior health journalists from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
The symposium was hosted by AVAC and MESHA.
Doctor Were said that while countries acted differently when it comes to HIV prevention, it was vital that others learn from those who would have led on such initiatives.
“What we have seen overtime is that there are countries where the governments move very fast, and there are countries where the governments move much slower as far as prevention is concerned.
“The important thing here is how do we use those countries that are on the forefront to try and encourage the others to also go faster,” said Dr Were.
He added, “this is a call to the government but also other donor agencies that work closely with the Kenyan government that how do we fast track the availability of these products to be available to the public.
“When I talk about fast tracking, there are issues around procurement to make sure that the product such as the dapivirine ring are available,” said Dr Were.
He said the dapivirine vaginal ring whose studies had proved 35 percent efficacy, was not yet available to the general public in Kenya but only for trials.
Dr Were also revealed that the dapivirine vaginal ring which is inserted every 28 days, costs US$7 to produce and US$12-US$13 to procure.
Bridget Jjuuko from AVAC, said failure to implement the roll out of the ring could be linked to funding, hence governments had to find other sources of funding.
“We have seen that the ring is not going to be funded by PEPFAR, so if PEPFAR is not going to be funding the ring, who else is going to fund the ring,” quizzed Jjuuko.
Jjuuko also revealed that allocation of resources towards HIV prevention for women and girls was what the Choice Manifesto was all about, which is an initiative on women led HIV prevention interventions which was launched in Uganda in September.
And true to Dr Were’s assertion on how governments respond differently, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa who had all given the nod to the dapivirine vaginal ring, were beaten to it by the latter which recently revealed that it was set to start a roll out for use by the general public.
AVAC in its Weekly News Digest of September 29 reported that South Africa, which has the largest epidemic of the virus in the world, was soon going to roll out the vaginal ring.
“The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said three groups involved in the fight against AIDS in the country have with its support, placed an initial order of 16 000 rings-that are expected to become available in the coming months,” read the report.
While Zimbabwe was one of the countries to have approved the ring, unlike its neighbour South Africa, the HIV prevention option is not yet available to the general public.
Pangea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust (PZAT) Senior Programs Manager, Definate Nhamo told this reporter that in Zimbabwe “the ring is currently not available to the general public.
“It is only available through implementation science studies.”
According to the International Association of Providers of Aids Care, the dapivirine vaginal ring is a flexible vaginal ring made of silicone and slowly releases an antiretroviral (ARV) medication called dapivirine over the course of one month to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
The dapivirine vaginal ring which is a form of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), is termed a female initiated option to reduce HIV infection.
According to the NHS Inform, pre-exposure means it’s taken before sex and prophylaxis means to prevent disease-in this case, by stopping one from getting HIV if taken correctly.
Speaking further on the dapivirine vaginal ring, Dr Were revealed that it was one of the options for HIV prevention because “available methods have not done enough to slow the epidemic among women and there was need for discreet products that women can use on their own terms.
“No one product will solve the HIV epidemic hence women need multiple prevention options that make sense for their lives.”
He added that from the researches that were done among women on the dapivirine vaginal ring, it was shown that they (women) were comfortable with it, as they did not feel it during any of their daily activities.
Dr Were also revealed that the women said they were willing to use it if effective and it has little or no impact on sexual experience and while on their period.
He also revealed that for men who were with someone putting on the dapivirine vaginal ring; most did not feel it during sex, no impact on sexual pleasure.
Dr Were also revealed that that in preparing for the dapivirine ring introduction, there was a pathway to achieve scale up.
“Regulatory approval; submission of regulatory dossiers for product approval from local national health product bodies.
“Government buy in; in order for a health product to be adopted into government policy, plans for introduction are developed through national technical working group structures and national level committees.
“Prior project projects donor funded sites; prior to large-scale up roll out pilot studies which are often donor funded are conducted across sites and populations to determine feasibility and the most effective implementation strategies.
“Broader scale roll out (government clinics) once pilot studies have demonstrated feasibility and the most effective implementation strategies, these strategies are applied to a broad scale public health roll out,” said Dr Were.
Following South Africa’s giant leap, it now remains to be seen whether other African countries where the ring has been approved, will also make orders for the use by the general public.
UDACIZA Secretary General Reverend Innocent Chitanda
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Cholera outbreak which has wrecked havoc in the country is caused by poor hygiene standards and the disease should never be linked to any demonic attack, Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches and Zionists in Africa, Secretary General Reverend Innocent Chitanda has revealed.
Reverend Chitanda further revealed that hoping to get treatment of Cholera from divine intervention will be stretching it too far as this can only be done by getting treatment and practising good hygiene.
He revealed this on Thursday during a media science cafe on Life Course Immunisation, which was organised by the Health Communicators Forum and the Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre.
His sentiments follow calls made by some sects which shun medical attention, saying the disease will be treated through divine intervention.
“There are demonic diseases, then there are diseases which are caused by the environment; so if we speak of Cholera, there is no way we can include the Holy Spirit in Cholera because it’s not a demonic disease.
“The moment we regard it as demonic, then we have to use the spiritual aspect but Cholera is not a demonic disease, we must be true about it.
“It is caused by the negligence of a human being, whoever has put his waste in the water sources and people by chance get in contact with that dirt.
“So there is no way we can associate the Holy Spirit with Cholera just because it is human error which caused Cholera,” said Reverend Chitanda.
According to the World Health Organisation, Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that it contaminated with bacterium vibrio.
It spreads rapidly in areas where there is poor sanitation.
However a member of Vapostori VeDare Madzimai Chipo Musonza who was part of the meeting, did not seem to agree, saying that their belief in their church is that all diseases are only cured by the Holy Spirit.
She said despite numerous calls for their members to participate in vaccination programmes or other health initiatives, they will continue to shy away because their only source of hope lies in the divine power of God.
“As members of the Vapostori VeDare, we don’t believe in immunization, even going to the hospital. we only believe in the Holy Spirit.
“So it is our belief that there is no disease which can be said to be incurable by the Holy Spirit. We believe that anything that can trouble let’s say a child, can only be solved by the Holy Spirit.
“And I can give you an example of maternity; we have women in our church who are responsible for that. We have our own midwives within the church who are there to make sure that all deliveries are done in safe and clean environments.
“You can also look at our own children; you will find that there are just a few who maybe of ill-health because they will always be protected by the Holy Spirit.
“Like when you talk of fontanel (nhova), we know it’s caused by dehydration, so we make sure that we encourage all mothers to give their children enough water and there will also be prayers done for those same children so that they are always protected,” said Madzimai Musonza.
She also revealed that at their church they had been warned prior to the emergence of Covid-19 and they were all protected by prayers.
“When Covid-19 came we were not vaccinated because what we believe in is that there is no disease outbreak which will start without the Holy Spirit aware of it.
“So when the Holy Spirit warns us, we will be given special prayers in relation to that (outbreak) so that we are protected.
“So yes diseases can come but we will always be protected by the Holy Spirit, so we are not even worried or bothered,” said Madzimai Musonza.
The Chairperson of UDACIZA Harare Province, Mr Njagu said while there are about 1 000 apostolic sects and their organisation has 620 members (churches and zionists), they all don’t have the same beliefs.
He said some believe in vaccination, while others shun it totally.
“We all don’t believe the same, some believe in vaccinations, while others don’t believe in that. Yes in my church we do believe that diseases can be cured by prayer and we even have some people who come and get prayed for.
“But we then discovered that there are some diseases which can be cured by prayer while others will need medical attention, like in the case of Cholera.
“We saw that we cannot talk of prayer so we allowed our people to get medical assistance; I’m saying this on behalf of my church.
“So we are encouraging others to follow the medical route especially when it comes to Cholera, because we saw that there are times we were burying people as a result of vaccine preventable diseases,” said Mr Njagu.
City of Harare Expanded Programme on Immunisation Officer, Sister Monica Muto, said though some apostolic sects say they don’t seek medical attention, some of their members come nicodemously for health services.
She said in some cases, people end up making individual decisions which they know will save them and their families.
“It’s something that we noticed that though some sects bar their members from seeking medical attention, some members go to the hospitals nicodemously.
“It is something we have understood hence in such cases, they don’t queue with the rest of the people, we offer them special treatment because we are aware of the issues issues, we give them privacy.
“For some you will find out that their husbands will be refusing that they take the children to seek medical attention but the mothers want to take their children to the hospitals so we offer them the necessary support. For some we keep their medical records at the health institutions,” said Sister Muto.
There has been several calls for health authorities to find common ground with some religious sects as it was seen that issues to do with health science have a huge difference from some spiritual beliefs.
NEWSSPACE 