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IN line with our commitment and tradition, Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Aids Day, marking the 25th anniversary of the commemoration.
Our commemoration is for the third year running, guided by the theme “Getting to Zero,” which seeks to galvanise our national efforts towards the attainment of three zeros, namely:
• Zero New HIV cases
• Zero Aids related deaths
• Zero stigma
Supported by the slogan “My Responsibility, Your Responsibility.”

These three zeros encapsulate the future direction of our national response to HIV, calling on all stakeholders to scale up the provision of prevention, treatment and support services to our people. My government remains committed to the national response as we have done over the years by creating an enabling environment for the work and participation of all stakeholders.

Although the challenges have been huge, our response has also been strong and resilient. Our response has engendered continuous reduction in both the HIV prevalence and HIV incidence rates over the years. These declines have given us buoyancy in the belief that, yes we can indeed do better and further reduce the burden of HIV in the country. The coterie of HIV prevention strategies, guided by appropriate political will and policies have remained sharpened, and have assisted us to reach the milestones we have so far. Our efforts in significantly reducing the HIV prevalence and new incidence as well as scaling up of anti-retroviral therapy have earned us international recognition over the years.

Our commemoration this year comes amidst scientific evidence that HIV prevalence is stabilising around 15 percent and that in line with our targets and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we are on course to halving new infections by 2015. I am particularly happy that the focus on elimination of mother to child transmission has been strengthened with the adoption of Option B Plus, wherein HIV positive women are automatically put on anti-retroviral therapy for their own health and that of their unborn babies as early as at 14 weeks of pregnancy. In this regard, I would like to call on all women and their men as well as the wider social support systems to ensure that pregnant women register with the nearest health centres for HIV counselling and testing as well as monitoring.

The recently adopted Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC), which has been scientifically proven to engender over 60 percent protection against acquisition of HIV has to be significantly rolled out for us to meet our national target of reducing new HIV cases by 50 percent by 2015.

Over the years Zimbabwe has been acclaimed as a best practice nation in HIV prevention and we have to ensure that we continue to lead in this direction. All effective and high impact prevention programmes and services such as HIV counselling and testing, condoms distribution, and treatment as prevention should therefore be scaled up towards the achievement of zero new HIV infections

Provision of treatment to improve quality of life and avert death is part of the national response strategy wherein the target is to reduce deaths from Aids from 66,000 deaths per year in 2009 to 46,000 in 2015. Although we had already reached universal access by 2012, I am still very encouraged that our national antiretroviral therapy programme has now gone above the 600,000 people mark. Zimbabwe thus reached universal access to treatment based on the CD4 count of 350 but our coverage temporarily fell below universal access target following our adoption in 2013 of the World Health Organisation’s new treatment guidelines, wherein clients must be initiated on treatment at a minimum CD4 count threshold of 500. I am however very confident that we will soon achieve the universal access target again.

I would like to salute the support from our various partners who include the Global Fund and the United States Government for their support. The reports from various provincial and district hospitals that the numbers of people awaiting initiation on anti-retroviral therapy have been significantly reduced are encouraging and a sign that our response continues to improve despite funding challenges.

Fellow countrymen, mindful of the funding challenges for the response to HIV, my Government introduced the Aids Levy in 1999. Despite the economic challenges around 2008, the levy has now grown to become the second largest funder of the anti-retroviral therapy programme, supporting over 25 percent of all people on treatment. I am happy that the levy has already started to support diagnosis and treatment for conditions such as tuberculosis and cancer in view of their co-infection with HIV.

On account of this levy, Zimbabwe has over the years continued to welcome delegations from various countries in Africa who seek our assistance in introducing such a reliable local funding mechanism. In the past year alone, we welcomed delegations from Uganda and Tanzania with whom we shared our experiences in managing the levy and ensuring that it serves the interests of our people.

As such the model of our Aids Levy has become not only a national strategic investment but a global best practice inspiring many nations in Africa and beyond. It is very clear that what Zimbabwe thought of and implemented 14 years ago, the world is following suit today. In addition to the national investments we are making towards the national response through the Aids Levy, my government will ensure that we continue to vigorously mobilise resources both locally and beyond so that all people on treatment and those needing it are fully supported.

I must express my gratitude to the national institutions that are tasked with management of the National Aids Trust Fund for their role and work, which have attracted the notice of other countries.

Fellow countrymen, in expanding access to HIV prevention, treatment and care to all our people, the response has to fully address the challenges of stigma and discrimination as a cornerstone of the theme this year. It is positive to note that compared to earlier years, cases of stigma and discrimination have significantly reduced and our people are openly seeking HIV prevention and treatment services in addition to living openly and positively. We must encourage this and continue to invest in programmes that dignify our people in the face of HIV. I am encouraged that the implementation of the stigma index study is continuing in Zimbabwe.  This study, whose implementation is being led by people living with HIV will provide empowerment, through involvement and capacity building while also increasing the pool of information useful for advocacy, policy and programming.

The recent mid-term review of the Zimbabwe National HIV and Aids Strategic Plan II (2011-2015) has put us in proper perspective with regards to our progress in pursuit of the targets in that plan. With this new evidence, we must rapidly scale up all programmes that have worked well, especially in HIV prevention and also refocus those that have missed their targets. At the same time, we must adopt all relevant recommendations and address the gaps noted in the review.

As I conclude, I want to assure the nation that my Government will continue to play its part, exploring various ways and mechanisms to enhance the national response to HIV and Aids. In pursuit of zero new HIV cases, zero Aids-related deaths and zero stigma, government will prioritise and scale up access to prevention and treatment

in line with the thrust enunciated in the Zimbabwe National HIV and Aids Strategic Plan 2011-2015.

At this juncture, I would like to thank the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the National Aids Council and all our partners as well as donors for their dedication and fruitful work this year in pursuit of the three zeros.

Together we will win over HIV and Aids because Getting to Zero is my responsibility, getting to zero is your responsibility, and getting to zero is our responsibility.