With about nine months to go to this year’s edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), the event’s director Dr Luc Bodea says he is impressed by the progress Zimbabwe has made already with regards to preparations.
By Kuda Pembere
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the on-going International Steering Committee meeting, ICASA director Luc Armand Bodea said the country is progressing well on course with its preparations.
We can tell you that at this stage we are at 50 to 55 percent ready in December 2023,” he said.
He said with the fact that political will at the highest-level is showing commitment to hosting this event was an indication that this year’s ICASA edition will be bigger and better than the 2015 conference.
“In terms of commitment we have commitment at the highest level. When we signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the host country, we had the Honorable President, the Vice President of the country was there.
“What else do you want to talk about the country’s commitment when you have the President and Vice President to come and sign the MOU with ICASA and Society for AIDS in Africa? We had a higher, higher level commitment and I am very sure we will have a very, very successful conference than in 2015,” Dr Bodea said.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice President and Ministry of Health and Child Care Minister Dr Constantine Chiwenga, the Deputy Minister of Health Dr John Mangwiro said it was important for Africa to reduce its dependency on other continents for health solutions.
“This conference must guide us as a continent how we will end AIDS by 2030. This is very important. The fact that we are able to gather and look forward and move things as Africa is very important. This will reduce dependency on other sides of the earth. As Africa, we must design our own solutions to end diseases base on the existing knowledge we already have.
“We must assist each other as African countries in health strengthening systems which is cost effective and efficient. So before we run to other continents, let us look into ourselves so that we become strong as a continent,” he said.
National AIDS Council (NAC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Benard Madzima said the meeting was about mobilizing experts in various fields who will be sharing their expertise in December.
“One of the key things is to set up various thematic. We are here to mobilise the international experts in various fields of leadership, science and community programmes.
“So the event is important is very important because we have experts from all over the world in those various fields and they are making sure we have the most important speakers for various subjects,” he said.
He also said a local secretariat will be established for the day-to-day runnings in the run-up to the ICASA in December.
“We are also setting up the local secretariat which will do the day to day running and organizing of the ICASA leading to December 2023.
“In the local secretariat are the issues of the budget, also human resource component and also engaging what we are calling the multiministerial committees.
“We know that this goes beyond health, we have to engage the ministries of for example foreign affairs for visas, and we will involve the ministry of tourism and the tourism authority for issues of accommodation. So this is a preparatory meeting and a key meeting in making sure that we have a successful ICASA,” Dr Madzima said.
Zimbabwe was last year announced winners for the bid host the ICASA 2023 conference with the ICASA directorate coming to the country to sign a memorandum of understanding with the country’s leadership to cement its commitment to ensuring the event becomes a success.
