Over 9 000 on ARV therapy in Gweru

Mr Hwingwiri said in addition 169 people were awaiting treatment after they were tested. He said the low figure of people awaiting treatment was testimony of the successful behavioural change programme that has seen the national prevalence rate dropping to 13.7 percent.

“Our programmes are in line with our vision; No HIV transmission. Universal access to HIV and Aids Services. Under this vision, we expect not to record new cases of HIV. This is how we have managed to bring the prevalence rate down from 15.6 percent to 13.7 percent.

“There is behavioural change, hence the drop in the prevalence rate,” said Mr Hwingwiri.

The NAC Gweru District Coordinator paid tribute to Global Fund for availing the ARVs through Natpharm and to the Midlands Aids Service Organisation (Maso) for spearheading the behavioural change programme.

He said Maso co-ordinated behaviour change programmes had helped remove the problem of stigma.

“Our ARVs are distributed at Mkoba Poly Clinic, Mkoba 1 Clinic and Gweru Provincial Hospital as well as Mtapa Outreach Site.

“We are getting support from Global Fund, that is why we have never experienced problems of ARVs in Gweru and the surrounding communities.
The impetus for people to get tested is there since the drugs are available.

“Our ART figures are increasing because of the visibility of our programmes, ART and behavioural change. More people are willing to be tested as they know they can be treated. If there are no drugs people will be reluctant to be tested and they are bound to ask themselves why get tested when you cannot be treated,” he said.

Mr Hwingwiri said the first entry point for behaviour change was for one to know his or her status. Before 2004 and 2005, he said, there were very few people on ARVs and the country was losing a lot of its professionals and qualified personnel through Aids.

“We now have learned people and professionals on the programme. Our high success rate is due to a number of factors. We have the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare where doctors are moving into rural areas like Chiwundura and Chikwingwizha, giving people ARVs.

“Services for testing are there, we have a New Start Centre in Mkoba 6 and in the City Centre. There is also the workplace programme being run by Maso, which is also supported by the Global Fund,” said Mr Hwingwiri.

He said the district will sometime in February hold a belated commemoration of World Aids Day as part of celebrations to mark the numerous victories scored by the district and country in bringing down the prevalence rate.

Maso’s programme co-ordinator in charge of Education and Gender Mrs Ntombizodwa Revesai said they were making steady progress in assisting Midlands companies come up with an HIV/Aids workplace policies.

“We are targeting two companies per district at a time. We have so far assisted nine companies in the Midlands, namely Sabi Gold Mine and Runde Rural District Council in Zvishavane, Fair Mile and Zesa in Gweru, Athens Mine and St Theresa Hospital in Mvuma as well as Maso. Maso has in fact a very vibrant workplace policy.

We got frameworks that we work under like the International Labour Organisation where we borrowed 10 principles, for example confidentiality, care and support.