via Govt to create HIV programme for gays 18 December 2014
THE government is going to create a specific HIV and AIDS programme targeting homosexuals and sex workers as a way of controlling the infection rate, a senior government official has revealed.
This is the first time the government has publicly acknowledged the existence of this minority population sector and said it would include it in its national programmes.
Homosexuality has been politicized by President Robert Mugabe who is on record denouncing the practice. As a result of Mugabe’s anti-gay stance government officials have routinely reserved their comments on gay issues.
The Zimbabwean gay community however has continued to complain about being left out of government programmes saying that fuelled the spread of the HIV virus.
Zimbabwe has however done well in managing HIV as evidenced by the reduction of the prevalence rate from over 27 % in 1997 to 15% to date.
Speaking at a Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights HIV and AIDS workshop Harare Thursday, Head of HIV and TB unit in the Health and Child Care Ministry Dr Owen Mugurungi said they were considering starting programmes which will include the gay community.
He said: “Of course we should never forget these small populations of man who have sex with man; of drug users and sex workers. If we deal with the problem elsewhere and forget them then infection will remain a problem,” said Dr Mugurungi.
Dr Mugurungi said prisoners were also at risk of transmitting HIV to each other through homosexuality.
Asked about how they were going to engage such key populations as sex workers and gays given that the country’s laws criminalise such activities, Dr Mugurungi said the country’s constitution guarantees right to health for every citizen.
“We are not promising to break the law because we do not want to break the law, but we are hoping that the law can be aligned to make sure that we do what is paramount,” he said.
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