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Mukudzei Chingwere in Geneva, Switzerland

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, sees Zimbabwe as a major success in the global battle against HIV that can be emulated especially as it uses its resources in the fight against HIV and other health challenges.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director for policy, advocacy and knowledge Ms Christine Stegling met Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga on the sidelines of the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA76).

Her praise of Zimbabwe’s success is a huge international endorsement and proof of President Mnangagwa’s thrust of mobilising local resources for local development under the “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo” approach.

Despite having made considerable public health delivery progress since the coming on board of the Second Republic, much to the commendation of various international bodies, Government is not yet satisfied as it paces up towards attaining universal health coverage of top end quality consistent with an empowered upper-middle income economy as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.

Faced with a devastating Covid-19, Zimbabwe still managed to thwart and contain the pandemic while at the same time forging ahead with its national health targets.

“For us it is really important to build on your success in prevention and see how that can be shared with other countries,” said Ms Stegling.

“We have a meeting this week on Wednesday with the global friendship coalition, we hope some of the (Zimbabwean) delegation will be able to attend.

“Zimbabwe has always been a leader in trying to show that it is possible to bring domestic resources on the table and really noting even since 2021 how much you have increased your own domestic resources and we know that it’s the way to go, but it is a difficult way to go.

“For UNAIDS its one of our roles to keep on trying to help people understand that what happened in Zimbabwe or Vietnam can be replicated somewhere else,” she said.

Deputy Executive Director for the Programme Branch of UNAIDS Dr Angeli Achrekar also commended Zimbabwe’s progress.

“We really wanted to take this opportunity to commend you and your country for the leadership in the HIV response,” said Dr Achrekar.

“You truly are one of the leaders not only on the African continent but in the world and it’s been tremendous to see the decrease in HIV infections in your country you are leading. Over 75 percent reduction in HIV incidents which is a real testament to your leadership.

“We are just really grateful for this time to meet you and really honour and celebrate the progress that you have made,” said Dr Achrekar.

The two talked of their keenness to see the world replicating the Zimbabwean model and implored the country to help others during international fora’s like the one here and the upcoming ICASA conference to be held in Zimbabwe later this year.

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with UNAIDS executives, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe is enjoying the fruits of having taken a strong policy position to fend off the disease having been devastated particularly at the turn of the millennium.

He also expressed confidence that the country was on course to achieving all three aspects of the 95-95-95 target ahead of time.

95-95-95 is an HIV/AIDS management set of targets through which UNAIDS is targeting to diagnose 95 percent of all HIV positive cases, provide antiretroviral therapy to 95 percent for all those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression to 95 percent of all those treated by                                                                              2025.“You are aware that from around the year 2000 to 2010 in Zimbabwe the disease was wreaking havoc and Government had to come up with a firm policy to say what do we do,” said VP Chiwenga, “Government then came up with the AIDS levy where everybody in employment contributes up to now.

“We have now surpassed the 95-95-95 in two areas but on suppression we are still at 93 percent but I think we will be on target by end of this year or next year. So, the goal to wipe out AIDS by end of this decade, I think we will achieve it,” he said.

Meanwhile, VP Chiwenga is back home but the Zimbabwean delegation has remained behind with Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira as head of delegation.