THE Zimbabwe Health Interventions (ZHI), through support from the USAID, PEPFAR and the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), has launched two programs, the DREAMS-RISE and ACCE initiatives in bid to reduce new HIV infections as well as economic induced vulnerabilities in Adolescents Girls and Young Women (AGYW).
By Michael Gwarisa
The acronym ACCE stands for, Accelerated and Comprehensive HIV Care for Epidemic Control in Zimbabwe (ACCE) while DREAMS-RISE stands for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free Mentored and Safe – Re-Ignite, Innovate, Sustain and Empower (DREAMS-RISE). The two programs are funded by PEPFAR through USAID and are worth US$123 million combined.
Speaking at the official launch of the two programs, Director, AIDS and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health, Dr Owen Mugurungi applauded the support government is receiving from the United States government to enhance the fight against HIV.
I also want to take this time to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation of the generous and strong support of the American people through the PEPFAR and USAID which in this successful implementation of our HIV programs, has remained resolute and now is supporting the DREAMS-RISE and the ACCE programs.
“In line with our vision of ending AIDS by 2030, the government of Zimbabwe remains committed to improving access to and quality of HIV prevention, care and treatment services for people living with HIV through implementation of client oriented approaches. With funding support from PEPFAR through USAID, the DREAMS-RISE and ACCE remain critical programs in providing technical support to the ministry of health and child care as well as direct service delivery to accelerate progress towards the 95-95-95 or towards HIV epidemic controls,” said Dr Mugurungu.
Implementation of the DREAMS-RISE and ACCE programs commenced in October 2021. The DREAMS-RISE is being implemented by ZHI in partnership with Family Health International (FHI 360), Family Support Trust (FST), and Umzingwane AIDS Network (UAN) also implements the five-year USAID-funded DREAMS-RISE program (October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2026) to help reduce new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged nine to 24.
“The DREAMS-RISE overall objective is to contribute to the reduction of new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women and the ACEE program overall objective is to increase access to and availability of quality HIV treatment services towards national achievements of our UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets,” added Dr Mugurungi.
The ACCE Project is being implemented in the Midlands Province (Gokwe South, Kwekwe, Gweru, and Mberengwa districts) and Manicaland Province (Chipinge, Buhera, Mutare, Makoni, and Mutasa districts). Furthermore, the activity will provide technical assistance to six districts including: Chimanimani, Nyanga, Gokwe North, Shurugwi, Chirumhanzu, and Zvishavane. The project is expected to end on September 30, 2026.
The DREAMS-RISE is being implemented in nine priority high HIV burden districts (Beitbridge, Bulawayo, Bulilima, Gwanda, Gweru, Insiza, Mangwe, Matobo, and Mazowe). Targeted beneficiaries include young women selling sex (YWSS), out-of-school girls aged 15 to 24 years, and gender-based violence survivors and their caregivers. In addition, comprehensive sex education programs reach both girls and boys in primary and secondary schools.
Giving her remarks, USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director, Priscilla Sampil said the DREAMS -RISE program was also looking at ending economic vulnerabilities of young women and girls through life skills training and economic empowerment programs.
“In just nine months, the RISE project, under the DREAMS initiative, has reached more than 103,000 adolescent girls and young women with HIV and Sexual violence prevention services, and almost 16,000 with economic strengthening interventions. This is what it looks like: Young women in Bulawayo, through USAID and ZHI support, making shoes and selling them to local markets, Young women starting cleaning companies and providing services and young women engaged in a variety of other small businesses.
“The DREAMS initiative provides training and tools these girls and women need to stand on their own. Through the RISE project, USAID and ZHI work together to expand and reach more vulnerable adolescent girls and young people, including young women selling or trading sex, out of school girls aged 15-24 years, gender based violence survivors, and orphaned and vulnerable children and their caregivers,” said Sampil.
Meanwhile, ZHI Director, Dr Taurayi Tafuma said the project has made tremendous progress despite having been launched only nine months ago.
“The two programs, the RISE and ACCE are essentially meant to complement the Ministry of Health and Child Care response to HIV and AIDS epidemic. These two programs were made possible by the generous support of the American people through the US President Emergency Plan for HIV and AIDS (PEPFAR) and the USAID in partnership with ZHI.
“Since the inception in October 2021 to end of July 2022, the data which we have shows that we have managed to reach to 103,000 girls through the DREAMS-RISE program. To ensure effective implementation of the program, we have also gone beyond just reaching to the girl but to train 189 Guidance and Counseling teachers, 109 school based supervisions and 14 provincial and district supervisors who were trained in terms of Violence prevention as well as data quality management. In this effort, it helped us to reach to 3,800 girls being supported to stay in school,” said Dr Tafuma.
Since October 2021, the ACCE program has reached to more than 180,000 people with HIV testing services; helped initiate more than 9,000 people who tested HIV positive on ART; provided lifesaving ARVs to almost 6,000 HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women; screened over 36,700 women living with HIV for cervical cancer; helped over 219,300 people living with HIV to access regular ART and HIV services and 95 percent of people with a valid HIV Viral load result have since been virally suppressed.
