News / Health
Minister says AIDS deaths should have been eliminated by 2030
05 Oct 2015 at 06:21hrs | Views
The government has set the year 2030 as its target for an end to AIDS deaths in Zimbabwe, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said on Saturday.
Speaking at the Cimas 70th Anniversary Health Expo in Belgravia, Harare, Dr Parirenyatwa, said considerable success had been achieved in reducing deaths from malaria and HIV/AIDS.
He said there was a time when the HIV infection rate was at the point of 30 people in every 100 between the ages of 15 to 49 being infected. The infection rate had come down to 15 percent. While that was still too high, more people were living with HIV and fewer dying as a result of it because anti-retroviral drugs were working.
"Government is targeting 2030 as the year by which there will be no AIDS deaths," he said.
He said he would like to see more drugs being manufactured locally so that they were cheaper. He challenged medical aid societies to encourage the local manufacture of drugs.
"We are looking for partnerships that will stimulate the local manufacture of drugs," he said.
He praised Cimas Medical Aid Society for introducing its Chronic Disease add-on facility for its medical aid packages so that people living with HIV/AIDS could be covered by medical aid for HIV treatment.
The Minister said he appreciated the important role played by medical aid societies, even though they only covered about 10 percent of the population. He said the government intended to establish national health insurance which everyone would be part of, in order to cater for the poorest. He said he was sure medical aid societies would support this.
He encouraged Cimas to see what it could do to extend membership to those working in the informal sector.
Responding to this point in his vote of thanks, Cimas group chief operations executive Vulindlela Ndlovu said: "We are exercising our mind quite seriously in that regard."
Dr Parirenyatwa expressed his appreciation of the role being played by Cimas healthcare clinics and urged it to establish more.
"The society has helped relieve pressure on the public health sector by opening primary health clinics in different parts of the country. Nine such clinics are operational, four in Harare with the rest in Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Kwekwe and Chitungwiza.
"We want to see more of those clinics," he said.
Responding to this, Mr Ndlovu assured the Minister thtat Cimas did intend to open more clinics. He said Cimas had already acquired properties for clinics in Victoria Falls and Masvingo.
Dr Parirenyatwa praised Cimas for coming to the rescue of those needing dialysis by establishing the Harare Haemodialysis Centre in 1999 at a time when dialysis machines in government hospitals were not working.
He congratulated Cimas Medical Laboratories for attaining ISO 15189 accreditation, which, he said, brought with it worldwide recognition of the tests it carried out. He said he would encourage all laboratories to achieve this accreditation.
He expressed his appreciation of the role Cimas had played in equipping the country's first Optometry Training Unit, which was established last year at Kaguvi Hospital by the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences.
He encouraged Cimas to continue providing such assistance in setting up sustainable health infrastructure.
He also praised Cimas for the role it was playing, through the Cimas Health Education Fund, in sponsoring the training of doctors who wanted to specialise.
Earlier, Dr Elson Mberi, had given a moving account of how Cimas had helped him achieve his dream of becoming a haematologist through the sponsorship provided by the Cimas Health Education Fund, which had paid in full for his studies in South Africa.
He said there were only four haematologists registered with the Health Professions Council, which, he said, was a tragedy.
He said he sometimes wondered whether Cimas realised how big an impact the sponsorship had had on his life and on the country.
Commenting on disagreements between medical aid societies and doctors, the Minister said his ministry intended to establish a regulatory body that would regulate medical aid societies and deal with disagreements and conflicts of interest.
Congratulating Cimas on its 70th anniversary, Dr Parirenyatwa praised it for its ability to adapt to change.
Earlier, welcoming the Minister and guests to the 70th anniversary Health Expo, at which Cimas and various health services organisations showcased the services they provide, Cimas chairman Mordecai Mahlangu highlighted the fact that, while the society had begun operating on October 1, 1945, discussions on its establishment had begun in 1939. Its establishment had been delayed, however, by the Second World War.
It was the first private sector medical aid society to be established in the country. For the first 36 years of its history Cimas had a single medical aid package. It now has five.
"We now have packages suitable for people from all socio-economic group. Cimas has also developed various health services in response to the healthcare needs and demands of its members and to requests from stakeholders in the health sector," he said.
He expressed the hope that those attending the Expo would learn more not only about the services that Cimas offers but about their own health from the various stands, at some of which free health checks were being offered.
Speaking at the Cimas 70th Anniversary Health Expo in Belgravia, Harare, Dr Parirenyatwa, said considerable success had been achieved in reducing deaths from malaria and HIV/AIDS.
He said there was a time when the HIV infection rate was at the point of 30 people in every 100 between the ages of 15 to 49 being infected. The infection rate had come down to 15 percent. While that was still too high, more people were living with HIV and fewer dying as a result of it because anti-retroviral drugs were working.
"Government is targeting 2030 as the year by which there will be no AIDS deaths," he said.
He said he would like to see more drugs being manufactured locally so that they were cheaper. He challenged medical aid societies to encourage the local manufacture of drugs.
"We are looking for partnerships that will stimulate the local manufacture of drugs," he said.
He praised Cimas Medical Aid Society for introducing its Chronic Disease add-on facility for its medical aid packages so that people living with HIV/AIDS could be covered by medical aid for HIV treatment.
The Minister said he appreciated the important role played by medical aid societies, even though they only covered about 10 percent of the population. He said the government intended to establish national health insurance which everyone would be part of, in order to cater for the poorest. He said he was sure medical aid societies would support this.
He encouraged Cimas to see what it could do to extend membership to those working in the informal sector.
Responding to this point in his vote of thanks, Cimas group chief operations executive Vulindlela Ndlovu said: "We are exercising our mind quite seriously in that regard."
Dr Parirenyatwa expressed his appreciation of the role being played by Cimas healthcare clinics and urged it to establish more.
"The society has helped relieve pressure on the public health sector by opening primary health clinics in different parts of the country. Nine such clinics are operational, four in Harare with the rest in Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Kwekwe and Chitungwiza.
"We want to see more of those clinics," he said.
Responding to this, Mr Ndlovu assured the Minister thtat Cimas did intend to open more clinics. He said Cimas had already acquired properties for clinics in Victoria Falls and Masvingo.
Dr Parirenyatwa praised Cimas for coming to the rescue of those needing dialysis by establishing the Harare Haemodialysis Centre in 1999 at a time when dialysis machines in government hospitals were not working.
He congratulated Cimas Medical Laboratories for attaining ISO 15189 accreditation, which, he said, brought with it worldwide recognition of the tests it carried out. He said he would encourage all laboratories to achieve this accreditation.
He expressed his appreciation of the role Cimas had played in equipping the country's first Optometry Training Unit, which was established last year at Kaguvi Hospital by the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences.
He encouraged Cimas to continue providing such assistance in setting up sustainable health infrastructure.
He also praised Cimas for the role it was playing, through the Cimas Health Education Fund, in sponsoring the training of doctors who wanted to specialise.
Earlier, Dr Elson Mberi, had given a moving account of how Cimas had helped him achieve his dream of becoming a haematologist through the sponsorship provided by the Cimas Health Education Fund, which had paid in full for his studies in South Africa.
He said there were only four haematologists registered with the Health Professions Council, which, he said, was a tragedy.
He said he sometimes wondered whether Cimas realised how big an impact the sponsorship had had on his life and on the country.
Commenting on disagreements between medical aid societies and doctors, the Minister said his ministry intended to establish a regulatory body that would regulate medical aid societies and deal with disagreements and conflicts of interest.
Congratulating Cimas on its 70th anniversary, Dr Parirenyatwa praised it for its ability to adapt to change.
Earlier, welcoming the Minister and guests to the 70th anniversary Health Expo, at which Cimas and various health services organisations showcased the services they provide, Cimas chairman Mordecai Mahlangu highlighted the fact that, while the society had begun operating on October 1, 1945, discussions on its establishment had begun in 1939. Its establishment had been delayed, however, by the Second World War.
It was the first private sector medical aid society to be established in the country. For the first 36 years of its history Cimas had a single medical aid package. It now has five.
"We now have packages suitable for people from all socio-economic group. Cimas has also developed various health services in response to the healthcare needs and demands of its members and to requests from stakeholders in the health sector," he said.
He expressed the hope that those attending the Expo would learn more not only about the services that Cimas offers but about their own health from the various stands, at some of which free health checks were being offered.
Source - Agencies
