According to a Safaids report, the NAC consulted different stakeholders
including disadvantaged groups, civic organisations and the private sector
to reach a common understanding of what was needed to be done. They also
identified who the intervention programmes would benefit and defined how the
programmes could be conducted.

Groups targeted for intervention programmes include sex workers, the
hearing-impaired, the blind and people with other forms of disabilities. The
consultations revealed that HIV/AIDS education programmes did not include
sign language or braille literature for the blind. The response to HIV/AIDS
has mainly been from civic groups, ASO (AIDS Service Organisations) and the
international donor community. The private sector has only recently begun to
develop intervention programmes, the report said.

Last year, the Zimbabwean government introduced a compulsory levy on company
and income tax, in an effort to raise funds for HIV/AIDS intervention
programmes. The AIDS levy was collected, yet organisations and individuals
questioned how the funds would be used. Since its introduction, the
disbursement of funds has been hindered by logistical and political
problems. Pressure has been placed on the government to define distribution
criteria and the monitoring mechanisms to be used for managing the fund. The
NGO sector has been called upon to develop a strategy to advocate and lobby
government for better policies in HIV/AIDS prevention, the report said.

[ENDS]

PlusNews is produced under the banner of RHAIN, the Southern African
Regional HIV/AIDS Information Service. RHAIN's members currently include:
UNAIDS-ICT/ESA, IRIN, SAfAIDS, PANOS, Health Systems Trust, Health
Development Networks, GTZ/Afronets

IRIN-AIDS
Tel: +27-11 880 4633
Fax: +27-11 447 5472
Email: [email protected]

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