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Each year, 24 March is commemorated as World Tuberculosis (TB) Day; the Day is set aside to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB and to scale up collective global efforts to end the TB epidemic. According to the WHO 2018 Report, TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer with daily mortality and morbidity rates of nearly 4500 and 30000 respectively. WHO TB Reports from the year 2000 to 2018 highlight that global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 54 million lives and reduced the TB mortality rate by 42%. However, although the disease is preventable and curable, TB prevalence remains alarmingly high, with the heaviest burden being borne by low and middle income countries; with 9 SADC member states being listed as part of the 30 High TB burden countries (WHO 2018). Hence the need for strengthened collective global awareness-raising to prevent the disease.  

“As part of the global development and women’s empowerment agenda, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are rooted in fundamental human rights, and aim to uphold and safeguard the dignity, agency, bodily integrity and autonomy as well as wellbeing of all; ensuring that everyone reaches their highest potential. International Women’s Day and Women’s Month provide a critical platform to not only collectively come together to reflect on gains made towards the attainment and achievement of gender equality and equity, but also gives room to analyse the gaps to inform and strengthen interventions and initiatives focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Additionally, this day also allows us to celebrate the achievements that women have made across various sectors and generations in both the public and private spheres, and for us to draw inspiration from those achievements.” SAfAIDS Executive Director, Mrs Lois Chingandu

11^th February, globally marks the International Day for Women and Girls in Science. The Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. This Day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened. According to UNESCO (2018) science and gender equality are both vital for sustainable development; however, women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science, with less than 30% of researchers worldwide being women.

 

“Global cancer morbidity and mortality rates remain disturbingly high, despite all the investments that have been made towards prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. We need to creatively and innovatively come together to fully harness the potential of our expertise in technology, research, science, advocacy and information dissemination to strengthen initiatives aimed at preventing and treating cancer.” SAfAIDS Executive Director, Mrs Lois Chingandu

SAfAIDS joins the rest of the Zimbabwean and global community in mourning the passing of the musical and artistic icon and philanthropist, Dr Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi. ‘Tuku,’ as he was affectionately known, made remarkable contributions to the music and arts sector during his legendary career; socialising, influencing, unifying and inspiring hope among generations of Zimbabweans, Africans and others. His music offered distinguished commentary on socio-cultural issues promoting dialogue on key issues including HIV, gender equality, child marriage and gender based violence (GBV).

 

 

SAfAIDS expresses its full support and solidarity with the United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 36 of 2018 on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), on the Right to Life. The General Comment expands the understanding of the right to life in the submission that the right includes entitlements of individuals to live and enjoy a life of dignity.  In its entirety, the right to life constitutes a fundamental right whose effective protection is the medium through which all other human rights are exercised and enjoyed.

31 October 2018

Press Statement on Prophet Walter Magaya’s Claims on HIV Cure

SAfAIDS notes with concern the claims made by the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries Leader, Prophet Walter Magaya at a press conference on the 28^th of October 2018 that he has found a cure for HIV and AIDS.

 

“Girls are a special resource and vast investment, whose potential remains largely undermined and untapped. There is need to move away from gender equality rhetoric, and scale up actual action towards achieving equality at all levels as part of the global commitment towards realizing gender equality and equity.

SAfAIDS, through regional and local programmes in the SADC region, remains highly committed to safeguarding and promoting the rights of the girl child. We join the rest of the world in striving for gender equality on this day, 11^th October and every other day throughout the year. We must be mindful that girls are an Investment for the progress of society as a whole. We cannot talk about development without addressing the inequality hindering our girls’ progress and development.  We need to address child marriages, teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions and all forms of violence perpetrated against girls. We owe it to our girls and our future, to fully invest in the development of the girl child.” SAfAIDS Executive Director, Mrs Lois Chingandu

 

 

 

Commemorating International Safe Abortion Day

28th September 2018

 

“Addressing barriers to adolescent girls’ and women’s access to abortion in the region and globally is a matter of urgency. Restrictive legislative frameworks and criminalisation of abortion does not prevent abortion. It only renders it unsafe and threatening to health and lives. The high incidence of mortality due to unsafe abortions is unnecessary loss of life. This can easily be prevented when adolescent girls and women’s decisions and choices over their bodies are respected & EVERYONE commits to protect the rights, health, safety and well-being of millions of adolescent girls and women in SADC.

_x0003_ Unwanted pregnancies have a profound effect on the lives of women and girls; their abilityand right to make choices about their lives. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), safe abortions are one of the safest and simplest medical procedures in existence.Yet, with abortion mostly illegal and highly frowned upon in most Southern African countries, unsafe abortion accounts for 10% to 13% of maternal mortality in the region. In the Southern African attitudes survey, nearly half (45% women and 44% men) said theyagreed or strongly agreed that a woman had a right to terminate her pregnancy within the first trimester. Attitudes towards abortion are changing!

28 September is International Safe Abortion Day. The day was first celebrated as a day of action for decriminalization of abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1990. In 2011, the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) declared 28 September as an international day. The day’s name was changed to International Safe Abortion Day in 2015. 2016 was the biggest International Safe Abortion Day ever celebrated.1 From 5 to 9 November, SADC senior officials and Ministers of Health will meet in Windhoek, Namibia to adopt the revised SADC SRHR Strategy 2019-2030 and its related score card. This takes place against the backdrop of the global #Women’sMarch; #MeToo; #TimesUp and related regional campaigns such as the #IWearWhatILike and #TotalShutdown.
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The 2018 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer put a spotlight on the inter-linked gender justice issues of our time including menstrual health, comprehensive sexual education, teenage pregnancies, safe abortion, maternal health, GBV, HIV and Aids, and sexual diversity.

_x0003_SAfAIDS, cluster lead of the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance, is leading the campaign for preventing unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. This is part of the
SAfAIDS Transforming Lives – Time for Change, Time for Action campaign supported by Sweden.

Download Full International Day on Safe Abortion Media brief here : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tvOzaEQCvLenAR-8UPg-QvGM_Dzr7Y5m