DESPITE recording significant progress in HIV/AIDS response over the years, Zimbabwe still needs support to sustain the epidemic control level the country has reached and reduce new infections.
National Aids Council (NAC) chief executive officer Bernard Madzima last Friday said lawmakers were needed for policy and legal support towards expansion of services in various HIV/AIDS interventions.
He was addressing parliamentarians at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden during an HIV/AIDS sensitisation workshop.
"Although our response has recorded significant progress over the years, including the reduction of new HIV infections and the scale up of the antiretroviral therapy programme as well as the achievement of the 95-95-95 targets, the response still requires support to achieve and sustain epidemic control.
"We look up to our lawmakers for policy and legal support towards expansion of services to cover unmet needs for family planning, reduction of domestic gender-based violence, ending of child marriages, resolution of the age of consent to HIV and health services, access and utilisation of services by adolescent girls and young women and most vulnerable population groups, scaling up of testing and treatment among children, among other issues, which are affecting optimisation of epidemic control," Madzima said.
Due to the celebrity status given to MPs in constituencies, Madzima believes legislators can serve as HIV advocates in communities.
"It goes without saying that lawmakers are highly regarded in communities, almost assuming celebrity status. We, therefore, also look upon you to serve as HIV advocates, promoting positive behaviour change and uptake of prevention and treatment services by the public within your constituencies.
"We are aware that in working with you as lawmakers, we are in effect reaching the whole nation as you are always in contact with your people," Madzima added.
The NAC boss also said his organisation recognized the need for lawmakers in both houses to have relevant information as they discuss and debate various motions related to health and HIV in particular.
"Today's event is only meant to sensitize all lawmakers for them to appreciate that HIV remains an emergency in Zimbabwe. After this, we shall work closely with the relevant portfolio and thematic committees to provide relevant capacity building necessary to interrogate the various HIV and associated issues as necessary."
The CEO further said the response required an enabling environment anchored on relevant policies and laws, which promote adequate financing, access to and utilisation of services by all people without leaving anyone behind.
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"Although Zimbabwe has a domestic financing mechanism for the response, the funding levels have been affected by economic challenges and the rise in the number who require treatment.
"Additional innovative and sustainable domestic financing mechanisms are, therefore, required to frontload the response, which has now become versatile and broad due to integration of non-communicable diseases and health emergencies such as COVID-19 and Mpox, at a time when international donor support is set for a major reduction."
Zimbabwe aims to reduce new HIV infections by 68% by 2025 from 2018 baseline; halve AIDS-related deaths by 2025 from 2018 baseline; reduce MTCT rate to less than 5% by 2025; and to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
