Scale up action now!
THE EXPECTED RISE IN POPULATION IN AFRICA WILL MEAN MORE TO EDUCATE

THE EXPECTED RISE IN POPULATION IN AFRICA WILL MEAN MORE TO EDUCATE

Catherine Murombedzi HIV Walk
Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world to mark World Aids Day on December 1. The commemorations will be held at Garwe Stadium, Chivhu.
This year’s theme is “Getting to Zero by 2015”. First Lady Amai Grace Mu- gabe, a philanthropist and dedicated mother who runs anorphanage in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central Province, is expected to be the guest of honour.

World Aids Day gives people living with HIV a platform to look back and light a candle in memory of those who died before the advent of anti-retroviral medication.

There are calls for scaled up action so that no new infections are recorded and all people in need of ART access it on time.
Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) has called on Government and donors to scale up funding in order to ensure access to treatment for all people living with HIV at CD4<500, all sero-discordant couples, all HIV positive pregnant women, all TB co-infected people, all children below five years old and to accelerate the phasing out of stavudine-based regimens.

This stepped up investment is crucial to enable Zimbabwe to act on the new evidence that earlier access to treatment for more people has a powerful prevention benefit as HIV treatment has proven to reduce HIV transmission by 96 percent.

Civil society also called for an end to stock-outs of medicines and the persistent breakdown of equipment in particular CD4 count machines.
It called for renewed focus on scaling up community-based treatment (outreach programmes) and prevention services outside the formal health facility.

“Over the last 10 years, we have watched treatment saving lives and now we know it can also protect entire communities from new HIV infections because treatment is prevention,” said Irene Zivire from Life Empowerment Support Organisation.

Zivire noted that each country requirement differed and no blanket measure should be used.
“Government and donors must change national eligibility criteria to reflect the new scientific evidence and must end stock-outs of life-saving medicines,” added Zivire.

If Government does not make efforts to fulfil their pledge of 15 percent of the total budget to health — the dream to getting to zero remains a mirage. It is now less than two years and 2015 will beckon.
Tendayi Kateketa (formerly Westerhof) from Women’s Health HIV and Aids in Southern Africa (WHHASA) is sceptical and emphasised the same statement made by Zivire on the Abuja Declaration to give 15 percent of their national budget to health.

“Consequently, gains made in previous investments will be lost and real opportunities for programmes to demonstrate high impact will be missed if no real commitment is realised in giving the health sector 15 percent of the National Budget,” said Kateketa.

The network of people living with HIV has called for more speed in the decentralisation of ART to all health facilities.
“We call for decentralisation of ART services. People in rural areas are travelling long distances and this is a barrier to accessing medication.

“Take, for example, Buhera, it has over 29 clinics working as ART centres and the community is well served. This means the quality of life has improved as clients no longer miss treatment due to long distances.

“This district has reached universal access thanks to MSF assistance in the programme,” said the network of people living with HIV.

Martha Tholana advocates that no child should be born HIV positive in this day. In developed countries no babies are born with the virus and this is also possible for Zimbabwe. Pregnant mothers have to be tested for HIV and this is only possible if they register for ante-natal clinic at 14 weeks of gestation.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care in conjunction with partners like the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric Foundation run HIV prevention programmes from mother to child. This is known as the Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission Programme.

The programme seeks to keep mothers alive as they access treatment for life.
“In Zimbabwe, the number of babies born HIV positive is still unacceptably high, particularly as we know for a fact that without treatment half of them will not live to see their second birthday. Thanks to the new national programme Option B+ (Life long Art) we have the power to reduce these infections and keep mothers and their babies alive.

Tholana called for wider treatment-education if the national programme is to yield pleasing results.
“Wider treatment-education must to be carried out nationally otherwise the Option B+ will not succeed,” said Tholana.

Tonderai Chiduku, who tested HIV positive in 1993, has lived to see the strides the country has made in the HIV field.
Chiduku said meaningful involvement of people living with HIV is crucial as they should be seen as proponents in getting to zero.

“People living with HIV must not be viewed as vectors of transmission, but rather as agents in getting to zero. As a person living with the virus, I am committed that no one gets infected so I talk of safe sex,” said Chiduku at a feedback meeting by the community monitoring group in Kadoma last week.

“PLHIV, if given support and treated as partners, can tackle these inequalities, fear and ignorance that still characterise and isolate those infected and affected by HIV derail the gains made so far,” said Chiduku.

Chiduku said that mothers who have gone through the PMTCT can speak of the programme with impact as they would be talking from experience.

“HIV positive mothers who have enrolled on the PMTCT programme can be useful agents in zero new infections in children.
“They have given birth to HIV negative babies so having them as focal persons will help pregnant mothers who are afraid of getting tested.

“These mothers can spread the word that a future free from Aids is possible with prevention and treatment,” said Chiduku.
Chiduku is, however, worried that the country is embarking on Option B+ with very limited resources.

“Option B+ covers a pregnant mother and I am rather worried of what will happen to the mother when she weans off her baby and is now required to transfer to the local clinic. As you know, some health facilities charge user fees and in the case of Mutare General Hospital it is US$9 which they say is for consultation.

“A client will fail to raise this figure because it is too steep. Why is it some facilities give ARVs for free and some charge user fees? This surely can’t be allowed to go on, if not stopped Mutare will have many defaulters because US$9 is a lot of money,” said Chiduku, who hails from Manicaland.

Shingirai Matogo, a founding member of Clear Vision – a support group which operates in Glen View, said community involvement is crucial if we are to see HIV prevalence falling further.

“A major component of comprehensive HIV care is psychological and social support for people who are on treatment, as well as community awareness raising.

“One example are the support groups, made up primarily of people living with HIV, throughout the country spreading positive messages about the infection, encouraging people to be tested, informing them about the treatment and combat the stigma that is attached to HIV,” said Matogo.

As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in marking WAD, let responsible action be an everyday thing not just a one day affair for December 1.

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