News / National
Parliamentarians pledge to undergo circumcision and HIV test
02 Mar 2012 at 20:07hrs | Views
OVER 170 Parliamentarians from across the political divide have pledged to undergo voluntary counselling and HIV testing.
This is part of their immediate response in the wake of the launch of the Zimbabwe Parliamentarians against HIV and Aids campaign.
All male members in the group will also go for circumcision.
There are 150 male legislators in the group.
Male circumcision has been proven to have an effective rate of reducing HIV transmission by at least 60 percent.
Speaking at the official launch of the ZIPAH in Harare on Thursday, chairperson Mr Blessing Chebundo said ZIPAH members - in conjunction with People Living with HIV and Aids, National Aids Council and other Aids service organisations - will disseminate HIV and Aids information in their constituencies.
He said they will take the campaign to provincial, district and constituency levels.
"ZIPAH presents an opportunity for unified, strong and collective co-ordinated advocacy efforts to be applied by MPs and other elected leadership against HIV and Aids," he said.
Mr Chebundo said the ZIPAH idea dates back to 2006 following a meeting of the Coalition of African Parliamentarians on HIV (CAPAH) held in South Africa the same year.
He said the meeting realised that the role of parliamentarians in HIV response work was insignificant.
He said factors that contributed to this insignificance include short term of office (tied to at least five years), HIV and Aids thematic committees operating only when Parliament is open and inadequate training on the role of Parliamentarians in HIV and Aids response work.
ZIPAH's membership currently stands at 175 and 25 Parliamentary staff who are technical members.
"Our membership is open to all MPs, former MPs, councillors . . . and HIV activists, experts or relevant institutions who will be associate members," he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, National Aids Council board chairman Mr David Mutambara said the legislators' voluntary commitment adds a new impetus to the national strategy to halt new HIV infections, discrimination and Aids-related deaths.
He said ZIPAH comes at a time when the nation is experiencing funding problems and expressed hope that their involvement will have a positive impact to the national response.
"For NAC, the launch of ZIPAH comes with great expectations in accelerating and harmonising the civic society's contribution to the national response," said Mr Mutambara.
"The nation demands and expects you to play a strong leadership role in supporting and strengthening the civic society structures and operations that give greater meaning to our multi-sectoral principle."
Zimbabwe has undertaken several initiatives to fight against HIV and Aids resulting in a marked decline of its prevalence.
The HIV prevalence rate stands at 13, 7 percent.
This is part of their immediate response in the wake of the launch of the Zimbabwe Parliamentarians against HIV and Aids campaign.
All male members in the group will also go for circumcision.
There are 150 male legislators in the group.
Male circumcision has been proven to have an effective rate of reducing HIV transmission by at least 60 percent.
Speaking at the official launch of the ZIPAH in Harare on Thursday, chairperson Mr Blessing Chebundo said ZIPAH members - in conjunction with People Living with HIV and Aids, National Aids Council and other Aids service organisations - will disseminate HIV and Aids information in their constituencies.
He said they will take the campaign to provincial, district and constituency levels.
"ZIPAH presents an opportunity for unified, strong and collective co-ordinated advocacy efforts to be applied by MPs and other elected leadership against HIV and Aids," he said.
Mr Chebundo said the ZIPAH idea dates back to 2006 following a meeting of the Coalition of African Parliamentarians on HIV (CAPAH) held in South Africa the same year.
He said factors that contributed to this insignificance include short term of office (tied to at least five years), HIV and Aids thematic committees operating only when Parliament is open and inadequate training on the role of Parliamentarians in HIV and Aids response work.
ZIPAH's membership currently stands at 175 and 25 Parliamentary staff who are technical members.
"Our membership is open to all MPs, former MPs, councillors . . . and HIV activists, experts or relevant institutions who will be associate members," he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, National Aids Council board chairman Mr David Mutambara said the legislators' voluntary commitment adds a new impetus to the national strategy to halt new HIV infections, discrimination and Aids-related deaths.
He said ZIPAH comes at a time when the nation is experiencing funding problems and expressed hope that their involvement will have a positive impact to the national response.
"For NAC, the launch of ZIPAH comes with great expectations in accelerating and harmonising the civic society's contribution to the national response," said Mr Mutambara.
"The nation demands and expects you to play a strong leadership role in supporting and strengthening the civic society structures and operations that give greater meaning to our multi-sectoral principle."
Zimbabwe has undertaken several initiatives to fight against HIV and Aids resulting in a marked decline of its prevalence.
The HIV prevalence rate stands at 13, 7 percent.
Source - TH
