By Michael Gwarisa in Chinhoyi For 21-year-old Joseph Mwashipe* from Cherima in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West, living with HIV as a young person has presented him with a whole set of challenges. Even though he is studying towards an engineering program, he feels his dating life is currently weighing him down mentally. “Ukangomuudza chete kuti uri HIV positive zvinobva zvadhakwa (The moment I disclose my HIV positive status, the girl disappears from the picture),” says Joseph. “I don’t know whether I should continue disclosing or not because it seems the more…
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#Breaking: Donors About To Pull The Plug On Condom Funding In Zimbabwe
By Michael Gwarisa One of the major funders for HIV and AIDS programs in Zimbabwe, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has notified the Zimbabwean government that it will terminate funding for condom programming within the next 30 months, HealthTimes has learnt. Popularly known as Madhimbare mainly because of their blue and white packaging, public sector condoms serve the biggest number of condom users in Zimbabwe especially those at high risk of HIV infection mainly Female Sex Workers (FSW), Artisanal Miners, Truck Drivers among other HIV key…
Read MoreAfter Dropping Out Of School Due to An Early Marriage, Mhondoro Adolescent Girl Traces Footsteps Back To Classroom
By Michael Gwarisa in Chegutu When COVID-19 hit in 2020, everything came to a standstill as governments worldwide clamped down on services to pave way for the effective management of the disease. Unfortunately, the education sector was also affected, and learning was suspended. This, however, increased the vulnerability of girls from poor backgrounds as many were driven into early marriages to escape from the effects of poverty and hunger that characterised the pandemic period. One such girl is Theresa Garikai (21), from Katawa Village, from Mhondoro Mubaira, Chegutu District, who…
Read MoreHelping Out Of School Adolescent Girls Navigate HIV and AIDS Vices Through Economic Strengthening Programs in Mash West
By Michael Gwarisa Being the first born child to both parents living with hearing and speech disabilities, 20 year old Cecelia Mhande from Chikangwe Township in Karoi, has not had it easy. Her situation got worse when her father lost his job at a local dealership a few years ago, plunging her entire family into untold economic hardships. Even though she wrote and passed her Advanced Level (A Level) examinations in 2023, her prospects of going into University this year hang in limbo owing to the financial challenges back home.…
Read MoreNAC sponsored goat project helps feed Gwanda Prison inmates
A goat rearing project at the Gwanda Prison Farm in the Maphane area, sponsored by the National AIDS Council(NAC), is proving to be a force to reckon with as the project has grown to the extent of being expanded into prisons and correctional facilities. By Kudakwashe Pembere recently in Gwanda The goat-rearing project commenced in 2015 following a donation by NAC of 83 goats to the prison. Over the years, the project at the prison now has a herd of about 204 and cumulatively the Matebeleland South province now boasts…
Read MoreJHWO Rural Clinic Accelerates Identification of Missed TB cases in Vungu
Jackson Sibanda a small scale artisanal miner from Vungu, Village 6 has just been screened for Tuberculosis (TB) at Riversdale Clinic in Vungu, 40 Kilometers away from Gweru. Due to the nature of his job which requires him to move from one place to another in search of the gold, he has little time on his hands and rarely visits a health facility whenever he falls ill. By Michael Gwarisa in Vungu However, his friend recently tested positive for TB and he fears he might have contracted it since they…
Read MoreGweru Sex Workers Pose as MSU Students To Get Sex Clients As Competition Gets Tough
IN a few weeks’ time, the Midlands State University (MSU) will resume classes, and sex workers in Gweru are already fretting over the period as they fear finding themselves in the old profession’s relegation zone. Amongst sex clients, sleeping with a University student is a huge flex and status symbol. By Michael Gwarisa recently in the Midlands Province This is also the trend in Zvishavane where the MSU has also established a campus. A few years ago, an MSU official told a parliamentary portfolio committee that Sex Workers from Zvishavane…
Read More175 000 condoms distributed in Highfield, Southerton, Glen Norah and Ishewekunze suburbs
Over 175 000 condoms were distributed in the South Western district covering Southerton, Highfield, Glen Norah and Ushewekunze suburbs in the last quarter of 2022, a significant stride in condom programming which the National AIDS Council (NAC) South western district office says was a peak reach. By Kuda Pembere This NAC South Western District deputy district coordinator Mr Michael Musaka told HealthTimes on the sidelines of the International Condom Day celebrations yesterday that they were pleased with the condom distribution for the quarter. “So we have been making strides. It…
Read MoreUsing Community Footprint To Eliminate New HIV Infections In Sex Workers
Spiwe Chikwawa (49), a sex worker from Mutare has been in the sex work business for two decades now. However, a few years ago, Spiwe developed a rare Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). In her own words, she says this particular STI takes the trophy in the history of all stubborn STIs as it became resistant to treatment at some point only to disappear after it had resurfaced for the third time. By Michael Gwarisa in Mutare Due to a prolonged period with the STI, she also developed a pungent and…
Read MoreZimbabwe Trains Botswana On Developing HIV Prevention Cascades
A Zimbabwean delegation comprising of National AIDS Council (NAC) and Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) staff, recently travelled to Botswana to train and assist their counterparts to develop HIV Prevention Cascades. By Michael Gwarisa The training follows bilateral discussions between the two countries facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country office in Botswana who had noted the progress that Zimbabwe had made in developing HIV prevention cascades to inform planning, implementation and tracking of the HIV response in the country. In an interview with HealthTimes, National…
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