By Kuda Pembere
Dr Clorata Gwanzura, a government medical doctor working with the National HIV Program, Care and Treatment was conferred an award for the best oral presentation for the ICASA track E which focused on innovations and research settings.
In an interview, Dr Gwanzura said her research was focusing on monitoring and evaluation systems fofr Differentiated Dervice Delivery for ART in Zimbabwe which are models Zimbabwe use to give people living with HIV their medication.
These models have been effective in improving HIV treatment coverage in the country.
“So when we started, didn’t have a system of monitoring how we are doing. So we then came up with a system that would then also allow adaptation of national systems to be able to do that at a national level. So, that is the gist of my presentation,” she said.
Presenting her first international research, Dr Gwanzura said it came as a surprise winning the award.
“Receiving this award, it came as a surprise because you know when you’re just submitting your working hour, let’s see if uh other people consider this important enough, but you also want to share so that you learn.
“So it was a surprise, but it was also a happy surprise because it’s acknowledgement of what we’ve done. It was really a lot of work trying to make sure that we have data that can be used for decision making. So having that acknowledged is an honor, not just for me, but also for the team. You saw the big team, everyone is excited because we’re working together as a team,” Dr Gwanzura said..
She said this award comes as a motivation to present more papers at international fora.
“So that is really exciting and it’s an honor and we’re happy that our work could be acknowledged on a big platform like this one, like ICASA. So we’re excited, we’re hoping to come up with more papers. Now we’re also very motivated.
“We’re also very motivated. AIAS, there is AIDS 2024, there are a number of other HIV focused conferences. We are now also, well I am now also more motivated to participate in the same way. We also read your first international paper.
“I have presented in other forums but they were mainly regional and everyone was expected to present but for this one, it was like the first one that we had to come up to think up a topic to look at the data ourselves and say, maybe let’s put this together. So, it was like the first time that I to ICASA and boom, award,” Dr Gwanzura said.
Luc Bodea, ICASA Director said, “We reviewed 2 530 abstracts this year. And also want to inform you that 1 647 have been rejected. We should really thank all the reviewers. Presented here, were 78 abstracts.”
