HARARE There should be more involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS in AIDS-based organisations, the Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Activists Union (ZHAAU) has said. The organisation has called for 65 per cent involvement of those with the virus in related help groups. The president of ZHAAU, Bernard Nathan, said in an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean, that people living with the pandemic were being left behind at decision making levels in terms of leading the organizations that deal with their welfare.
“We have a situation were people living with HIV/AIDS are being represented by organisations whose leadership don’t know how it feels to be HIV positive. This situation exposes those living with the pandemic to exploitation. We, as people living with HIV/AIDS, therefore call upon the government to ensure that at least 65 per cent of the total staff leading these organizations actually have the condition itself,” said Nathan.
Health and Child Welfare Minister, Dr Henry Madzorere, also called for the increased involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS in activities that affect them. He also called for a multi-sectoral approach to successfully arrest the pandemic, indicating that even though the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is on the decrease, the statistical figure is still high.