Story by Tafara Chikumira
REDCLIFF-THE National AIDS Council (NAC) has intensified its engagement with various stakeholders including media practitioners and state enterprises as part of renewed efforts to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which have emerged as a significant threat to the gains made in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Zimbabwe has made commendable strides in reducing its HIV prevalence rate, from a peak of 29% in 1999 to approximately 11% by 2021, through the concerted efforts of government, civil society, and international development partners. However, shifting lifestyles and emerging health risks are now threatening these hard-won gains.
Midlands Provincial Manager for NAC, Mr Mambeu Shumba, said the Council is adopting a proactive approach by engaging parastatal employers and the media to promote workplace wellness and combat misinformation.
“We have been enjoying some huge positives in our fight against the spread of the pandemic. Of late those gains are being affected by lifestyles. As such we have engaged the employers of parastatals so that we push wellness at work. We have also engaged journalists so that we push for correct and accurate information about the pandemic to fight misinformation being spread by social media,” he said.
The stakeholder engagements are part of NAC’s broader strategy to promote workplace health and eliminate stigma associated with HIV, especially as the dynamics around the pandemic continue to evolve.
Participants at the workshop highlighted the significance of the discussions.
“You will realise that there are some areas that we took for granted. The discussions helped in shaping the way I write stories particularly the use if diction,” media practitioner Norman Dururu said.
“We have allowed derogatory terms like ‘thigh vendors’ to pass editorial checks. We now understand that using the correct terminology, such as ‘sex workers,’ is key to reducing stigma and promoting human dignity,” Editor of The Midlands Observer, Chipo Gude added.
State enterprises have also been urged to champion workplace wellness programmes as part of their corporate responsibility and employee support.
“We have realised the importance of having workplace wellness programmes to deal with non-communicable diseases that may exacerbate challenges faced by employees living with HIV,” Acting Regional Human Resources Manager at ZESA, Mr Moses Makuhwa said.
The Midlands Province remains one of the regions with a high HIV burden, with over 165,000 people living with HIV, of whom 148 000 are currently on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
As NAC continues to reinforce its outreach and engagement, the focus remains on consolidating existing gains while adapting to emerging public health challenges through inclusive, informed, and stigma-free approaches.
