Govt avails US$151 000 grant for HIV and AIDS
NATIONAL AIDS Council (NAC) has avail a US$151 000 grant to Rujeko Home Based Care in Chipinge to enhance community-led HIV and AIDS health services.
The funding aims to expand access to prevention, treatment and care, targeting civil society organisations, through the Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP) 2021-2025 social contracting programme.
NAC’s Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV (PLHIV in HIV and AIDS), (MIPA) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Coordinator, Mr Elison Kombora said the funds were derived from the AIDS Levy.
“The social contracting programme, a key component of ZNASP, aims to strengthen partnerships between Government, civil society organisations and communities. By channelling funds from the AIDS Levy, Government ensures that taxpayers’ contributions directly benefit those affected by HIV and AIDS,” he said.
Mr Kombora said the initiative aligns with ZNASP’s objectives of prioritising meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and supporting orphans and vulnerable children.
“Zimbabwe has made progress in HIV response and is on course to “end AIDS as a public health threat” by 2030. ZNASP IV has proposed social contracting as a key strategic shift to accelerate progress towards this goal and we are not only contracting CSOs in Manicaland, but across the country. To date, NAC has disbursed US$6 million across the country since 2022,” he said.
Mr Kombora said Rujeko Home Based Care Programme received US$99 730 50 in 2023 and US$51 350 this year.
“This demonstrates Government’s commitment to combating HIV and AIDS and supporting affected communities,” he said.
Mr Kombora also said NAC remains dedicated to addressing the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe through supporting community-led initiatives.
“Government acknowledges the critical role played by civil society organisations in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The role of CSOs in the response to HIV and AIDS has been well documented, and Government continues to strive to provide a supportive operating environment, therefore the move to fund programmes like the Rujeko Home Based Care,” he said.
Rujeko Home Based Care, executive director, Mrs Sheilla Hellane said they are using the grant to deliver equitable and community-led HIV and AIDS and health services.
She said the funding has enabled them to scale up services, and reach more men.
“We have received funding from NAC for a social contracting project, which is dubbed Behaviour Change and Communication Men (BCCM). Rujeko envisions healthy and empowered communities in Zimbabwe, so this programme has provided us with an opportunity to meet marginalised men in hard-to-reach areas through trained male mobilisers who do monthly health sessions with their colleagues. It is during these sessions that men access services like testing and counselling and circumcision, among others,” she said.
Mrs Hellane said the grant has made it possible for them to reach out to men, who generally have poor health-seeking behaviour.
Since the inception of the funding, 9 483 men across Chipinge have accessed health services under the programme.
“The funding has made us reach more men and therefore contributed to the reduction of sexual transmitted infections in the district due to health education and referrals for early treatment that we are doing as an organisation,” said Mrs Hellane.