‘People who have been living with HIV and Aids for more than 30 years will tomorrow gather at Glen View Hall in Harare to celebrate the gift of life’

People who have been living with HIV and Aids for more than 30 years will tomorrow gather at Glen View Hall in Harare to celebrate the gift of life at an event facilitated and co-ordinated by Clear Vision in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV and Aids (ZNNP+).

ZNNP+ said HIV-related stigma negatively impacted on access to services and quality of life of people living with HIV.

“It is against this background that a ZNNP+ affiliate, Clear Vision, intends to denounce stigma and discrimination in the community through a campaign with the theme, Celebrating the Gift of Life @30.com,” ZNNP+ said in a statement. “During the campaign, we are going to advance and encourage the uptake of services like HIV testing services, tuberculosis prophylaxis, voluntary medical male circumcision, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and Aids, provision of proper family planning contraceptives for women and young girls on ART (antiretroviral therapy), viral load and CD4 count as well as dialogue on key populations like commercial sex workers, prison inmates, persons with disability, adolescents and youths.”

Stakeholders were also expected to be showcasing their work as far as HIV response was concerned.

There will also be comprehensive documentation of evidence-based HIV-TB advocacy.

This will be towards the quest to live no one behind towards attainment of the 90 90 90 targets.

The statement added that the objectives of the meeting would be to educate communities about HIV and Aids issues and promote the uptake of HIV services like PMTCT and ART among the adolescents and youth.

“We wish to inspire adolescents and youth to know their HIV status, initiate them on treatment and to encourage them to adhere to treatment, as well as to develop community calls for action in the fight against stigma and discrimination and to advocate for and showcase benefits of differentiated care models and meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and Aids in the HIV health agenda,” ZNNP+ said. By Munesu Nyakudya. source-newsday