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Zimbabwe: 'NGOs Scale Down Home-Based Care'
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
25 July 2008
Posted to the web 25 July 2008
Harare
A NUMBER of non-governmental organisations in Harare have scaled down operations on home-based care activities because of financial constraints, a senior official with the National Aids Council has said.
Presenting an HIV and Aids first quarter report for Harare province at a meeting held yesterday, National Aids Council provincial co-ordinator Mr Adonija Muzondiona said the number of HBC givers decreased by almost 30 percent between the first quarter of the year and beginning of the second quarter.
Mr Muzondiona said in the first quarter, there were 10 093 caregivers but the number declined to 6 987 in June.
"We believe a number of organisations scaled down HBC activities, a situation which also resulted in the scaling down of beneficiaries," Mr Muzondiona said.
He said despite the current shortages of drugs in the country, which has cascaded down to provincial level, the number of people living with HIV and Aids receiving free treatment in Harare under the National Aids Council rollout programme has also decreased by 20 percent between the same period.
Mr Muzondiona said in May this year, there were over 10 000 people living with HIV and Aids who received treatment but the figure decreased to 8 496 last month.
He attributed the decrease to defaulting, deaths or patients transferring from one area to another.
"Most patients come to Harare to undergo the initial stages required to access free anti-retroviral drugs, but once they start receiving the drugs they return to their home areas. They cannot be denied treatment if they return to their homes because they are already on treatment.
"However, there is need for constant follow-ups on our patients on whether they would have passed on, transferred or are simply defaulting," Mr Muzondiona said.
He told the meeting that NAC has introduced Voluntary Counselling and Testing Services at workplaces and prisons.
Currently, the programme is running in 16 companies and at Chikurubi Prison while efforts to intensify the project are underway.
Other stakeholders attending the meeting called on the private sector and donor community to assist Government with drugs needed in the management of HIV and Aids.
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"Currently, there is a serious shortage of cotrimoxazol in all institutions and yet it is a very essential drug for first line treatment of HIV and Aids. We appeal to the donor community to assist Government in sourcing such drugs to alleviate the plight of our patients."
It is a pity that the nos. receiving ARVs is on the decline.I dont know if media reports were correct that most of the NGOs were chased in the run-up to election included those providing the drugs? It is also contradicting that the Donor community the NAC is appealing to increase Aid is the one which was told by their "Popular leader who won 85% of the vote recentl to go to HANG" tALK ABOUT SHOOTING ONESELF IN THE FOOT.Zim you need to wake up.
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