Zimbabwe – Harare – 26 January 2010 (SAfAIDS) - As the nation gears itself for the constitutional reform process, the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) with technical support from the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) has embarked on a national consultative process that seeks to ensure that the concerns of people living with HIV (PLHIV), particularly women and young people, are included in the constitution making process.
Dubbed “Making HIV Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support a Constitutional issue in Zimbabwe: Amplifying the voices of People Living with HIV,” the project aims to ensure that the voices, views, opinions and priorities of PLHIV, who constitute a large number of the Zimbabwean population, are reflected in the new constitution.
According to the National HIV and AIDS estimates released in 2009, Zimbabwe has more than 1.1 million people living with HIV.
“The project recognises that PLHIV form an important part of the population whose voice and pleas are not heard and adequately addressed and therefore need to be heard,” Dr Tabona Shoko, ZNNP+ Executive Director said.
He said, “It is also important to engage and reflect the views of women because they constitute the majority of Zimbabwe’s population (52 percent) and they mostly bear the burden of HIV and AIDS.”
Dr Shoko said the current constitution which does not accord the right to health is also not explicit about HIV and thus offers limited protection to people living with HIV. This project therefore seeks to identify gaps on HIV and women’s rights that should be included in the new constitution.
Since the constitution is the supreme law of the country that defines the functioning of a government, it is important to include the concerns of PLHIV because HIV affects a large number of people in Zimbabwe and impacts heavily on the country’s development. It therefore requires concerted effort from all stakeholders and binding commitment from the Government.
If the concerns of PLHIV are heard and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support are highlighted in the constitution, universal access targets may be achieved. Zimbabwe is one of the countries that are still far from achieving their universal goals.
Out of a total of 350 000 people in need of treatment in the country, only 190 000 people are currently accessing treatment from the government roll out programme. Moreover, women who mainly bear the burden of care and support of family, friends and relatives living with HIV, rarely get any compensation for their efforts.
Meanwhile, a number of activities have been lined up to kick start the consultative process. Mrs. Lois Chingandu, SAfAIDS Executive Director said her organisation will provide ZNNP+ with technical support to host a one day consultative meeting for its members and then will proceed to conduct ten provincial policy dialogues. A national dialogue to capture the views of PLHIV on what they intend to see included in constitution will consolidate the findings.  
“It is hoped that through creating platforms for dialogue between policy makers, PLHIV and organisations supporting men, women and young people living with HIV and documenting them, the voice of PLHIV will be heard and incorporated into the Constitutional Reform.” Mrs. Chingandu said.
Through this process, creation of synergy and complementation of Government efforts to come out with an all inclusive consultative process will have been supported. PLHIV form a significant proportion of the population and there their voice needs to be heard.
ENDS!
For more information please contact: Gloria Ganyani (gloria@safaids.org.zw) or Vimbai Njovana (vimbai@safaids.org.zw) or call on 04 – 336193/3 / 307898 or Tonderai Chiduku (ZNNP+) on 0912 288935

You can also visit the SAfAIDS website www.safaids.net or the Media Resource Desk website on www.mediaresourcedesk.org