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Dr Parirenyatwa

Health Reporters
Government is appealing for $3,7 million to host the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA).

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa made the appeal at a fundraising breakfast meeting in Harare yesterday.

The country hosts the ICASA conference in six weeks time.

“We are appealing for a total of $3,7 million from our partners for preparing and successfully hosting ICASA,”

Dr Parirenyatwa said the money will go towards protocol trainings with different stakeholders ahead of the conference, preparing the conference venue to suit world standards, transportation for delegates, provision of financial support to those who are supposed to attend but have financial limitations, and covering other operational costs.

Zimbabwe won the bid to host the high level Aids conference in Africa, which was initially scheduled to take place in Tunisia.

ICASA organisers revoked the voting rights from Tunisia this year for several reasons resulting in Zimbabwe submitting and winning the bid beating Rwanda and Cote d’Ivoire.

Zimbabwe had less than six months to prepare for ICASA, a process that normally takes two years under normal circumstances.

“I want to thank all those partners who have already made donations towards ICASA and hope that we will mobilise enough funds to successfully host this event,” he said.

The event, which is expected to see between 5 000 and 10 000 delegates attending, will take place between November 29 and December 4 this year.

Meanwhile, visiting UNAIDS executive director Mr Luiz Loures said ICASA was an important platform not only for Africa but the whole world.

Speaking after meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi at Munhumutapa Building in Harare yesterday, Mr Loures said his visit to Zimbabwe was to give full support to the country.

“We are here particularly to give our full support with regards to ICASA — the International Conference for AIDS in Africa — which is extremely important not only for the continent but for us globally,” he said.

Mr Loures said ICASA was an opportunity to review what has been done so far in response to HIV and Aids and to map the way forward.

“That is exactly what I heard from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that I just heard the privilege to meet .This conference is for the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe will benefit from it,” he said.

Pressed on the issue of gays and lesbians, which his organisation and other United Nations agencies spoke boldly about last week in a joint statement, Mr Loures said Government has assured them that all were welcome for the conference.

“They are an important population regarding HIV and Aids. In the whole world it is one of the populations that we look forward in terms of providing service such treatment among other services,” he said.

Commenting on the new HIV treatment guidelines released by the World Health Organisation last week, Mr Loures said UNAIDS was a strong partner in HIV response in Zimbabwe among other countries and it will support the country implement the guidelines, which require all HIV positive people to be put on anti-retroviral drugs as soon as they test positive regardless of their CD4 cell count.

Mr Loures, whose three-day visit ends today, is also scheduled to meet different stakeholders, including civil society and people living with HIV and Aids.