Zimbabwe: Canada Donates C$2,4m for HIV/Aids Project

Source: All Africa

Harare

THE Canadian government on Wednesday injected C$2,4 million into the Expanded Support Programme for HIV and Aids Prevention, Treatment and Care in Zimbabwe while the Conglomerate of Farm and Industry has launched an HIV programme for the workplace.

ESP, an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme, has 16 districts in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe National HIV and Aids Strategic Plan will also benefit from the donation.

Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mrs Roxanne Dubé handed over the money to UNDP on Wednesday in Harare. UNDP will then disburse the money to ESP's 16 districts for the benefit of about 20 000 people, most of them in rural areas. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mrs Dubé hailed Zimbabweans for their efforts in to curb the incidence of HIV and Aids. "I appreciate the work being done by Zimbabweans and other stakeholders in addressing the prevalence of HIV and Aids in the country," she said.

Mrs Dubé said the donation would not only help to support the infected with drugs, prevention services, treatment and care but also the ESP.

"As partners in development, Canada is concerned with the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe. On issues of such critical humanitarian importance and for the direct benefit of the most vulnerable people, we are pleased to collaborate with the dedicated staff in both civil society and the national health system in rural and urban Zimbabwe," she said.

Ambassador Dubé said the initiative was consistent with the government of Canada's priorities to scale up universal access to HIV and Aids services reiterated at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and Aids of 2006. National Aids Council director Dr Tapiwa Magure hailed Canada for its continued support in the national multi-sectoral response to HIV and Aids.

Meanwhile, the Conglomerate of Farms and Industry has launched a programme of HIV and Aids awareness in the workplace in Harare. CFI comprises 12 companies, among them Town and Country, Farm and City, Victoria Foods, Suncrest, Hubbard, Agrifoods as well as Dore and Pitt.

CFI group human resources director Mr Edwin Murwira said they launched the awareness programme because the rate at which people were perishing at workplaces on farms and in industry had reached alarming levels. He said they were not going to assist financially as yet because people needed to be taught first.

"We want people to know that they must abstain, use condoms or be faithful to thwart the spread of HIV and Aids in the workplace," he said.

Although Mr Murwira said the programme was the first of its kind, he expressed confidence that it would yield beneficial results. Speaking at the same workshop, National Aids Council finance director Mr Albert Manenji challenged the business community to help in HIV and Aids issues.

"NAC needs US$38 million to procure anti-retroviral drugs," he said.