By Michael Gwarisa in Umzingwane
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, has assured the nation that Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) drugs remain fully stocked, adding that government is working toward maintaining a 12-month supply buffer at all times.
The Minister was responding to concerns raised by the Zimbabwe Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) during the Candlelight Memorial Commemorations held at Umzingwane Primary School in Matabeleland South on the eve of World AIDS Day.
We have already started procurement processes to make sure that at every stage we have a four-month stock. There is no need for everyone to panic. There is no need to overstock. There is no need to undertake your prescription,” said Dr. Mombeshora.
He also addressed concerns over reports of reduced donor funding.
“I just wanted to make a comment. You should not be worried about the withdrawal of funding for some of our partners,” he said. “The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Council, has come together to make sure the services will continue.”
Dr. Mombeshora reassured the public that the country currently holds strong stocks across all ART regimens.
“When there was an announcement that the U.S. government had cut its funding, there was anxiety among those on that programme. But I want to reassure you, we have stocks of every line of drug of no less than 10 months, so there is no way there will be shortages. So relax, let us be together.”
Representing the United Nations in Zimbabwe, UNICEF Zimbabwe Country Representative, Ettie Ekolle, paid tribute to everyone who died from AIDS.
“As we gather to remember and to honour those who were lost to AIDS, to celebrate the resilience of people living with HIV, and call for continued leadership from affected communities,” said Ekolle.
She added that the World AIDS Day and Candlelight Memorial would not be complete if children who died from AIDS-related illnesses were ignored.
“The amazing resilience children and adolescents living with HIV have continued to display, and their continuous engagement and participation of adolescents and young people in the national efforts to end the epidemic.”
She said it was heartbreaking to see that HIV treatment for children is still lagging behind at 63 percent, while the healthy average is close to 100 percent. In 2023, an estimated 70,000 children aged 0 to 14 years were living with HIV in Zimbabwe, yet close to 40 percent of those children were unable to access lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. This alarming figure highlights a significant gap in healthcare systems and falls far short of the 2030 target of achieving 95 percent ART coverage among children living with HIV.
Research also indicates that without timely intervention, one third of infants born with HIV would not survive past their first birthday and half would succumb by the age of two.
National AIDS Council Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Bernard Madzima, urged stakeholders to prioritise children in all HIV response efforts.
