Published by the government of Zimbabwe
7 October 2008
Harare — TEACHERS living with HIV and Aids will benefit from a network to be formed under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation this year.
In a recent interview, Unesco programme assistant for education and HIV and Aids, Ms Bekezela Mapanda said the development was meant to cushion poorly paid teachers from ever-escalating costs of anti-retroviral drugs and other associated costs.
"We all know their salaries are very poor. They cannot afford all the procedures needed before one is put on anti-retroviral treatment, worse still the drugs are required monthly," Ms Mapanda said.
Currently, teachers are taking home an average of $12 000 a month yet ARVs cost an average of $225 000 for a month-long course (cash price) a figure that fluctuates daily.
"Of late, teachers have dominated cross border trade business to raise extra income causing them to engage in risky behaviour exposing them to risks of contracting HIV," Ms Mapanda said.
She said the teachers' network would enable members to access free drugs as well as participate in national HIV and Aids programmes.
The programmes include reviewing existing HIV and Aids workplace programmes and policies and living positively with HIV among other things.
The Unesco programme comes in the wake of sero-positive teachers expressing concern over failure to access ARVs from the Government scheme and prohibitive costs at private pharmacies.
HIV positive teachers attending the World Teachers' Day commemorations in Harare last Friday said
the National Aids Council should consider them on their budgetary allocations just like the uniformed forces.
"NAC should do something for us since we are contributing the Aids levy. If they cannot assist us why then are we being taxed? Why don't they just leave us with our money," said a teacher living with HIV and Aids who preferred anonymity.
An HIV activist, who is also a secondary teacher, Mrs Joana Kasirori said HIV positive teachers should benefit from national programmes such as food distribution and drugs.
"I am lucky to be accessing free drugs but my fear is that my health is deteriorating because of lack of a balanced diet and over-working catering for my family," she said.
Provision of drugs alone, Mrs Kasirori said, is nothing when people cannot afford to buy a basic meal required for people living with HIV and Aids from their salaries.
Mrs Kasirori, who disclosed her HIV status in 2000, urged other teachers to undergo voluntary counselling and testing so that they could unite and form a network of sero-positive teachers.
She said this would enable them to present their grievances as a group and be heard.
Speaking at the same occasion, Zimbabwe Teachers' Association president, Mrs Tendai Chikowore said teachers affected and infected by HIV and Aids suffer most under the current hyper-inflationary conditions affecting the economy.
"The situation is worse for our colleagues living with HIV and Aids owing to prohibitive medical costs versus the teachers' meager salaries," Mrs Chikowore said.
A 2002 UNESCO publication projected that by the year 2010, Zimbabwe will lose about 55 000 teachers to HIV and Aids.
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