Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
AS concerns mount over shrinking global support for HIV programmes, Zimbabwe has joined other nations at the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, to push for renewed investments in HIV prevention, treatment, and research.
The week-long gathering, running from July 13 to 19, is placing a sharp focus on protecting the hard-won gains in the fight against HIV and AIDS, amid fears that waning donor funding could reverse decades of progress.
Key issues under discussion include the future of HIV financing, emerging scientific breakthroughs, and the development of an HIV vaccine.
Countries are also expected to share lessons from their programmes and strengthen international collaboration to sustain momentum in the global HIV response.
Zimbabwe’s delegation is being led by the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, who said the country’s participation is crucial for both learning and influencing policy direction.
“I am leading a delegation from Zimbabwe, attending the International Aid Society conference. Many issues will be discussed at this conference, but the main one will be protecting the progress that has been made in the management of HIV and AIDS. A lot of progress has been made in the past decades, and there is a threat in terms of funding the HIV programmes, and these will be looked at during this conference.
“Several research papers will be presented, most of them looking at the sciences that will then inform policy formulation at our level. It is very important that Zimbabwe attends so that we can share with other countries the recent developments in terms of science, and also discuss the issue of developing a vaccine for HIV.
“There will also be other side meetings, quite a lot of side meetings. I already had three meetings yesterday, and I will continue to have these side meetings with development partners, funders, and manufacturers of medicines and vaccines. So, we hope Zimbabwe will benefit from this gathering,” he said.
Among the hot topics at the summit is the long-awaited development of an HIV vaccine, an area where international collaboration and investments are beginning to bear fruit.
