Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
HEALTH and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, has announced a significant milestone in the fight against HIV and AIDS after Government procured antiretroviral (ARV) drugs worth US$12 million, sufficient to last until September.
This development comes amidst concerns over the US government’s withdrawal of funding for global HIV and AIDS programmes.
Dr Mombeshora announced this at the National Aids Council (NAC) workshop for journalists in Chinhoyi last week, emphasising that the country has enough ARV stocks to cover those on treatment and new cases.
“Currently, we have got enough stocks of antiretroviral drugs for all those who are on treatment and new cases, and everyone is going to be covered. These stocks will last us until June, and by then, the US$12 million worth consignment of drugs that will last us up to September would have arrived. There is no need to panic.
“You are probably all now familiar with the recent abrupt cut in funding by the US government, and its potential implications for the response to HIV and related diseases in the country. As Government, we are putting strategies in place to ensure that patients are not vulnerable. Let me emphasise this, we have already procured more drugs, and by the end of June, new drugs will be arriving in the country that will last until September,” he said.
The US$12 million worth of ARV drugs will bridge the gap created by the US funding cuts, ensuring that Zimbabwe’s HIV and AIDS response remains uninterrupted.
Dr Mombeshora said Government has re-prioritised its budget to cover costs of HIV, TB, and malaria programmes, which were previously supported by the withdrawn funding.
“We have re-prioritised, and realised that we can cover the drugs for HIV, for TB, and malaria. These are the three programmes that were mainly supported by funders. We can cover that 36 percent gap as a nation, and are currently working on more ways to fund these programmes domestically,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said the other way that Government can address the funding gap is through the National AIDS Trust Fund, commonly known as AIDS Levy.
“Established to provide sustainable domestic funding mechanisms, the levy has proven instrumental in supporting the country’s HIV and AIDS response. Additionally, Government is working on long-term initiatives, including the National Health Insurance Scheme, to ensure sustained funding for healthcare programmes,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora commended the nation for making significant strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS, with a remarkable decline in new infections and AIDS-related deaths.
He, however, said that the country cannot afford to be complacent, as HIV and AIDS remain significant public health challenges.
“The country has expanded access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy and achieved the 95-95-95 targets set forth by the global community. However, we cannot afford to be complacent as the landscape of the epidemic is constantly evolving. New HIV cases continue to be high among specific vulnerable populations like adolescent girls, young women and sex workers, while treatment coverage remains lower among children. In addition to this, emerging challenges, such as the need to reach key populations and ensure sustained adherence to treatment, require innovative approaches and a collective effort,” he said.
NAC chief executive officer, Dr Bernard Madzima highlighted the need for continued media partnership in addressing the gaps created by funding withdrawal.
Dr Madzima said that with over 15 000 new HIV infections and over 17 000 AIDS deaths recently recorded, Zimbabwe’s efforts to combat the epidemic remain critical.
He also said the levy falls short of the magnitude of the gap, and urged the media to help bring this reality to light.
“The rise in HIV related non-communicable diseases is also a major need for the continued media partnership that we are cultivating. At the same time, the response has entered the sustainability phase, whose main stark reminder has been the recent action by the US Government to cut their donor support to several key areas of the response.
‘‘Even though we have the resilient AIDS Levy to address some of the gaps created, the levy falls short of the magnitude of the gap. We therefore look up to the media to help bring this reality to the fore of both policy and programme development,” he said.
