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Paidamoyo Chipunza Herald Reporter
Visiting UNAIDS executive director Mr Luiz Loures, yesterday said his organisation is prepared to mobilise more resources to support countries such as Zimbabwe to implement new HIV treatment guidelines that the World Health Organisation released last month.

Speaking after meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare, Mr Loures said UNAIDS was a strong partner in HIV response in Zimbabwe and part of his discussion with both Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Health and Child Care was on availability, accessibility and affordability of ARVs.

“Definitely, the way forward is clear, it is to put people on treatment as early as possible.

“As I said while speaking to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, our thrust is to make these drugs affordable to the people and yes, we need to start treating people that are diagonised of HIV,” said Mr Loures.

Countries would be required to put all people who test HIV positive on treatment regardless of their CD4 Count and give pre-exposure prophylaxis to people at high risk of contracting and spreading HIV such as commercial sex workers.

Mr Loures whose three day mission to Zimbabwe was meant to give full support to the country in hosting the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA), said the event was important not only for the continent but for the world.

“We’re here particularly in Zimbabwe 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 had 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 had the privilege to meet.

“This conference is for the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe will benefit from it,” he said.