NAC ropes in Govt ministries to bolster ‘Not In My Village’ campaign

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

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 In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, NAC Mashonaland East provincial manager Dr Wilfred Dube said the sensitisation campaign is informed by the need to deal with social ills such child marriages as well as early pregnancies, with many of the five percent of HIV positive people who have yet to be tested and start the treatment that will render them non-infectious being in the younger age groups.

Victor Maphosa-Mashonaland East Bureau

The National Aids Council (NAC) has roped in provincial and district heads of Government ministries and departments in Mashonaland East in its “Not In My Village” programme as it intensifies the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Recently, NAC held an interface with heads of ministries and departments in Macheke for them to get an appreciation of the programme that is being rolled out across the country.

The programme seeks to encourage everyone to play an active role in the fight to end HIV and AIDS.

In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, NAC Mashonaland East provincial manager Dr Wilfred Dube said the sensitisation campaign is informed by the need to deal with social ills such child marriages as well as early pregnancies, with many of the five percent of HIV positive people who have yet to be tested and start the treatment that will render them non-infectious being in the younger age groups.

“We are here in Macheke with district and provincial heads of ministries and departments from Mashonaland East sensitising them on the theme ‘Not in My Village’” he said.

“This is a theme we also shared with traditional leaders, the Chiefs, and we are now cascading it to the provincial and departmental heads who have something to do with community interventions.

“With this campaign, we are saying community ills such as early pregnancies, early marriages, drug and substance abuse should not be allowed in our villages or communities.”

The provincial and departmental heads have pledged to support the campaign.

“Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Victim Friendly Unit and all the other Government departments are here and we shared the concept,” he said.

“We wanted to know their take to ensure all these ills we have talked about do not continue to happen in our communities.

“So they have pledged, as departments and provincial heads, to do a lot to ensure early marriages, early pregnancies and new HIV infections are reduced.”

In his remarks, the Secretary for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr Tavabarira Kutamahufa, who was represented by the administrative officer in his office, Mr Tatenda Mirisawu, applauded NAC for the programme, which he said is a game-changer in the fight to end HIV and AIDS.

Mr Kutamahufa appealed to the province to work in unity to ensure that the war on HIV and AIDS succeeds.

He said all the mentioned ills can be reduced or stopped, if communities work hand in hand.