Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. HEALTH and Child Care minister Douglas Mombeshora has said the National Aids Council (NAC) needs to bridge significant gaps in condom distribution and HIV intervention programmes following the departure of critical donors.
This came out during the minister’s meeting with NAC board members held in Mutare yesterday.
This call to action comes in response to the recent withdrawal of key funding partners, which has left Zimbabwe’s health system vulnerable and at risk of a resurgence in HIV and Aids as well as other sexually transmitted infections.
Mombeshora’s remarks underscored the detrimental effects of reduced donor funding on health interventions across the nation.
With condom distribution at a critical low, the minister warned that shortages of essential supplies and a sharp increase in prices for available products could hinder longstanding efforts to mitigate the spread of HIV.
“I gave you a charge to ensure that additional resources are mobilised for a sustainable response.
“This charge remains critical given the funding cuts and expanding mandate,” Mombeshora said, stressing the importance of a robust strategic plan aimed at ending Aids in Zimbabwe.
He called for proactive measures to ensure that NAC, as a strategic parastatal under his ministry, remains accountable to the populace.
“We need to work towards a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030, as championed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” the minister said, highlighting the government’s broader goals for national development.
NAC board chairperson Nester Mukwehwa responded to the minister’s call for action, noting that their organisation was actively engaging potential partners to address the funding shortfalls.
“This is being done through the National Partnership Forum,” Mukwehwa said.
“The council works with various structures at all levels that include government ministries, civil society and the private sector, among others.”
She elaborated NAC’s efforts to develop a minimum package in collaboration with the Health and Child Care ministry aimed specifically at resource mobilisation.
“We are looking at various funding scenarios through NAC’s decentralised provincial structures and community volunteers to help cover the gaps that have arisen from the departure of donors.”
The withdrawal of donor support has left a visible void in essential health services, prompting urgent discussions around sustainability and local resource mobilisation.
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