The Sunday News
ALL is set for the African Union World Aids Day commemorations in Victoria Falls tomorrow, with President Mugabe expected to deliver the keynote address during the historic event.
The event will be held at the Elephant Hills golf course in the resort town in Matabeleland North province.
A high-powered delegation from 47 African Union countries is expected to grace the commemorations which fall on 1 December each year.
Some of the high-ranking officials who arrived in the country yesterday for the continental event include African Union commissioner social affairs Dr Musapha Sadiki Kaloko and Lesotho’s principal director in the Prime Minister’s office Mr Moshoeshoe Sehloho.
The two officials were welcomed at the Victoria Falls International Airport by the deputy director of protocol in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Alfred Mutiwazuka.
Other delegates are expected in the country today.
The continental World Aids Day commemorations will run under the theme: “Getting to zero in Africa-Africa’s Responsibility, Everyone’s Responsibility”, which resonates well with the global theme for 2012 to 2013, which says: “Getting to Zero-Zero New HIV infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero Aids Related Deaths”.
Key players and some of the country’s partners in the fight against HIV and Aids from across the world are also expected to give solidarity speeches at the occasion.
National Aids Council communications officer Mrs Tadiwa Pfupa told Sunday News yesterday that it was all systems go for the third edition of the continental commemorations of the day.
Zimbabwe becomes the third country in Africa to play host to the continental event after Rwanda and South Sudan in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Mrs Pfupa said a pre-conference for the commemorations would be held today at Elephant Hills Hotel, where key players in the fight against the virus were expected to deliberate on HIV funding in the continent.
“Everything is in place now and we are more than prepared to host such a huge and historic event. President Mugabe is expected to give the keynote address. Key players in the fight against HIV/Aids, such as UNAIDS and OFID Health are also expected to give solidarity speeches.
“A host of other activities have been lined up for the event. Prior to the main function we are going to have a pre-conference on HIV funding in the continent. The conference will be attended by some of the big and key players in the fight against HIV,” she said.
Zimbabwe is playing host to the continental World Aids Day commemorations at a time when the country is expanding its Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) programme through decentralisation in an effort to bring treatment closer to the people.
In the past five years the country has witnessed a significant improvement in the number of people on the ART programme, with over 800 000 estimated to be on treatment countrywide.
Mrs Pfupa said the National Aids Council would continue making efforts towards increasing the number of people on ART as it seeks to achieve global targets.
Prior to the continental commemorations, a number of programmes aimed at encouraging members of the public to get tested for HIV and know their status were held across the host province. Several awareness campaigns, co-ordinated by OFID Health, were held in all the seven districts in Matabeleland province, where counseling and testing services were also extended to members of the public free of charge.
During the awareness campaigns, the National Aids Council (NAC) also encouraged parents to visit their nearest health centres together with their children to get tested for the virus as well as access counseling services.
Journalists drawn from various media houses in the country also toured the various intervention programmes and projects by NAC in the fight against HIV in Matabeleland North province.
“Like I have said before all these activities are an effort to attain the UNAids treatment target. According to the target, by the year 2020, 90 percent of our population must know their HIV status; 90 percent of those who are HIV positive must have access to treatment and 90 percent of those on treatment must have their viral load undetectable,” she said.
Mrs Pfupa said several entertainment programmes had been lined up for the commemorations, with artistes such as IYASA, dub poet Albert Nyathi, Derrick Mpofu and Pauline Gundidza expected to perform the theme song of the commemorations.
