What’s New

Health is an overarching right, as one cannot enjoy any other rights if they are in ill health. Citizens need to know that it is their right to have access to appropriate healthcare services. If these are not provided, they can take responsible authorities to task by demanding that right. In creating awareness and empowering communities to have the right knowledge and information, SAfAIDS and Restless Development engaged the services of a legal practitioner to unpack the importance of access to health services at the National Dialogue on strengthening access to health in Bulawayo on the 2^nd of February 2018.

One of the key objectives of SAfAIDS’ Asikhulume, Ngatitaure, Let’s Talk programme is to prepare young people for their engagement role by increasing their understanding and articulation of the basic tenets of the Constitution, particularly those relating to health, education and social services.

As Zimbabwe intensifies its efforts towards the attainment of the 95–95–95 targets to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2030, stakeholders are joining forces to come up with strategies to find the last ‘missing’ children so that they can treat, care and retain them in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions.

SAfAIDS Swaziland participated in a sensitisation campaign at Mahamba border gate in the Shiselweni region on December 22^nd 2017, to welcome migrant workers home for the festive season. The activity was organised by the Ministry of Health working in close collaboration with the National TB control Program (NTCP) and country partners working on TB and HIV, especially those working with migrant workers. The goal of the sensitisation campaign was to educate migrant workers on health services available on their return home, to promote linkages to care and improve adherence to treatment.

Elizabeth Ndhlovu-Dumbreni

Dikeledi Mokoena

Centre for Sexuality and Gender researcher, Dikeledi Mokoena, 29, who was last year shortlisted in the Award for Academic as well as Public Servant of the Year categories  at the annual African Youth Awards has been honoured for being one of the most influential young people in the southern Africa region.

By Elizabeth Ndhlovu-Dumbreni

 McBride Mvuri (far left) with some of the young people at Ndaiziva in Norton

Key beneficiaries of an Ndaiziva Capacity Development project, who were interviewed by a team of SAfAIDS partners as part of the Irish Aid Best Practice documentation workshop, expressed undying gratitude and solemn joy to SAfAIDS, for making it possible for the Norton-based partner to come up with life-changing projects in their town.

This year’s commemorations come while the world is still reeling from ongoing revelations of sexual harassment and abuse of women at all levels of society and in all organisations, including in our parliaments and by our legislators. Thus, SAfAIDS joins this year’s commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with a heavy heart.

SAfAIDS will be at ICASA 2017. For all those attending ICASA, we have some exciting news for you. We have set aside a SAfAIDS Day to share our programme experiences as we contribute to the HIV response in meeting the 90x90x90 targets.

What to expect?

This is a day filled with candid panel dialogues on issues ranging from Gender Transformative approaches, with a special focus on merging Eurocentric and Afrocentric views, HIV Prevention (in and out of school) Models, Leadership in Prevention and Key Populations.

“I know my HIV Status’’ Campaign Held In Gweru

SAfAIDS, in partnership with VOTO Mobile and CHAI, collaborated with FHI 360, PSI and NAC to conduct four “I know my HIV Status” campaigns in Mkoba 14, Mkoba 16, Senga and Mutapa from 26^–27 November 2017. The campaigns are part of a three-year mobile social marketing project that seeks to create personalised engagement to encourage at risk HIV populations to get tested and seek care,  while promoting increased HIV prevention knowledge levels among adolescents through mobile delivered audio magazines. The project will also collect relevant data to inform future work with young people. The project’s primary target is adolescent girls and boys who suffer a disproportionate burden of the HIV epidemic but are also early adopters of new and innovative health information dissemination technologies.