Zimbabwe is one of the few countries that have achieved the 90-90-90 target on HIV/AIDS pandemic, it was revealed at the signing of the Paris Declaration by the City of Harare (COH).
Representatives of various health stakeholders commended Zimbabwe for doing a sterling in combating HIV/AIDS at the high level meeting. The Paris Declaration is a commitment to end the pandemic by 2030.
UNAIDS country director Sophia Mukasa said Harare City will be part of more than 350 cities and Municipalities globally that have joined the Fast- track Cities initiative since its inception in 2014 on World Aids Day in Paris.
“The global strategy and commitment you are signing off on today focus on intersecting inequalities to address the remaining challenges of ending AIDS”, she said.
IAPAC regional director Yolanda Manuel virtually from Mozambique said Zimbabwe will join 123 of the cities in the Southern and Eastern African Region. ”95% of people living with HIV will know their status, get ART and have durable virus suppression. This is what we want to achieve by 2030”, she said.
COH director for health services Dr Chonzi said after achieving the 90-90-90% target, 95-95-95% target is now to be achieved by 2030. “We are among the first countries to achieve the 90-90-90% target”, he said.
AIDS and TB Unit deputy director Tsisti Apollo said Zimbabwe is getting closer and closer to global targets of ending the AIDS pandemic. ” There is 10% increase of the AIDS pandemic target according to statistics from 2015-2020”, she said.
National Aids Council Harare province manager Muzondiwa said if control measures are not put in place HIV infection increases. ” New infection is emerging from young girls and boys”, he said.
Fast- tracking, Ending AIDS by 2030 with the theme ” End Inequalities, End AIDS, End Pandemics is the new global AIDS strategy and the political declaration adopted by member states in June 2021 and calls all countries to re-commit to ending AIDS and to draw lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic to address inequalities, HIV, GBV, SRHR and forge a common front to address present and future pandemics.
Harare Mayor Musarurwa Mutizwa signed the Paris Declaration.
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