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The Partnership to Inspire, Transform and Connect the HIV response (PITCH) supports community based organizations to uphold the rights of populations mostly affected by HIV and engage in effective advocacy, generating robust evidence and developing meaningful policy solutions. We do this by building our partnership networks, enhancing the use of evidence and strengthening the capacity of civil society to advocate for the issues of adolescents and young people living with HIV.
Decision makers/implementers demonstrate changed attitude towards KPs and AGYW on an issue or claim. Provision of health services and justice to AGYW particularly young sex workers improved significantly as most young people who fell sick or required services such as family planning have access to these services however the services are expensive and they require a lot of out of pocket expenditures. The law implementers demonstrated change towards the AGYW group because AGYW have participated and engaged with the policy makers to discuss ways in which Young People can access health care services without challenges, such as stigma and discrimination and have autonomy over their bodies.
The law does not recognise the importance of empowering young people below the age of 18 even if they are young parents or caregivers as they are still recognized as children. The research evidenced that with our continuous quarterly systematic monitoring at facility and community level through the use of a quality assessment questionnaires.
Partners have utilised opportunities to share position papers and strategies to relevant stakeholders such as the clients/ recipients of care (AGYW, KPs) through community dialogues, Policy makers, law enforces these were done through dialogues, attendance to the country coordinating mechanism, through submissions to the parliamentary health committees or portfolios.
ZY+ had had an unclear advocacy strategy in the first and second quarter however the strategy was developed and adopted by ZY+ and other PITCH consortium group member like SAFAIDS.
There has been an improvement in ZY+’s capacity to capture evidence aligned to the advocacy actions under the PITCH project.
However, there are key gaps that the organization would like to focus on addressing in the next implementation year. These include:
ZY+ participated in 11 international, 2 regional, 5 national and 4 provincial meetings, foras, symposia with decision makers sharing the organization’s key positions and advocacy asks.
No. | Conference/Meeting Title | Date(s) | Level | Key Advocacy Issues/Asks | Representative |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | ICASA | International |
|
Annah Sango-Page; | |
2. | PATA Summit, South Africa | International |
|
Gladys Gumbo | |
3. | Stakeholder meeting on engagement of women within the CCM, Zimbabwe | September 2019 | National |
|
Annah Sango-Page |
4. | AIDS 2018 feedback Meeting, Kadoma Zimbabwe | November 2019 | National |
|
Annah Sango-Page |
5. | YPLHIV Forum, , Zimbabwe | 11 & 12 July 2019 | National |
|
40 AYPLHIV |
6. | Provincial MIPA Forums, Midlands & Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | September, November 2019 | Provincial | 8 AYPLHIV | |
7. | World AIDS Day | 1 December 2019 | National |
The coalition is a national grouping of 17 organizations which include ZNNP+, ZY+, Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN), SAfAIDS, Jointed Hands Welfare Organization (JHWO), Pangea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust (PZAT), Ophid, GALZ and Youth Engage. The coalition is an advocacy focused coalition with advocacy asks targeting the creation of space for civil society to act as a watch dog and respond to issues where there are gross violations in terms of PLHIV and communities. The coalition’s key advocacy asks are around access to treatment, healthcare financing and de-criminalization of HIV transmission.
There have been no changes in strategy since the last reporting period.
Since ACT is a loose coalition, it has been difficult to enforce a code of ethics and participation is largely voluntary this at times results in response to some issues being erratic. With our country deteriorating service provision and, limited follow up to laws and policies, drug shortages for young people and adolescents.The level of influence has remained static even though advocacy and community mobilisation has remain the top priority for ZY+.Patner mapping and goal setting has heled the country coalitions in identifying relavant stake holders to influence the system that has been broken for a long time.
The ACT coalition has
been effective in engaging in PEPFAR processes. ZNNP+ and ZY+
have managed to participate in PEPFAR processes including the
development of the Country Operational Plan for 2019 (COP 19).
The Zimbabwe National Strategic Plan review process is currently
underway and ZNNP+ and ZY+ are part of the working groups.
ZNNP+ and ZY+ contributed to the development of submissions to the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on the 2019-2020 Zimbabwe
National Budget. The submissions had three key agreed asks which
included the ask that government allocate at least 15% of the national
budget towards health in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration, the
scraping of VAT on sanitary ware and the allocation of the 2% tax
towards the procurement of essential medicines. During his budget
presentation in November 2018 (when the advocacy started), the
Minister of Finance acknowledged the need for government to work
towards the attainment of the 15% threshold for health. The budget
statement also outlined the removal of duties and levies on all
inputs used in the manufacture of sanitary ware. However, this is
still a challenge to get results as this is said to be governed by
resources and is mainly affected by economical inflation. Under
this outcome one of AGYW key advocacy ask was:
The ministry health through the minister of health and child care released a statement published in the Newsday Newspaper the link Newsday on provision of good quality medicines
Sexual willful transmition of HIV, lack of bodily autonomy amongst AGYW especially Young Women living with HIV. Under PITCH we have a mentorship program and an example is one of our young women who was assaulted by her partner because she received a stipend. She is more empowered to decide what she wants with her life. Three cases were reported and all of the cases were related to gender based violence
There have been no arrests made however there are young people who report cases and there still in pursuit with law enforcers
On the 1st December 2019 during world AIDS day the Minister of health Mr Obedia Moyo acknowledged the challenges faced by AGYW in accessing health care service and agreed that there are challenges in turning around services provision to the position of first class which is what the communities want. The law and constitution has limitation in term of supporting Zimbabwe also started roll out of DTG as a first line option, however with evidence recently released there was been retaliation from the members of the public requesting for the best medicines available. The position of ZY+ is that DTG should be the informed choice of AGYW on whether they use DTG or not as part of first line ARV therapy. DTG should be accessible to everyone willing to take the drug without condition.
Currently Zimbabwe through the ministry of Health and Child
care has agreed to give DTG as a first line drug.The ministry
also allowed young people to receive medication (DTG) to a
person that have tested positive for the dfirest time.
On the 1st December 2019 during world AIDS day the Minister of
health Mr Obedia Moyo acknowledged the challenges faced by AGYW in
accessing health care service and agreed that there are challenges in
turning around services provision to the position of first class which
is what the communities want. The law and constitution has limitation in
term of supporting AGYW, sex workers and young key populations in
accessing health services.
Age of consent to accessing SRH uncapping of age consent is was done as a joint effort by you led
networks with the same vision and aim to reduce the/uncap the age of consent.
https://www.familyplanning2020.org/news/zimbabwe-should-promote-adolescent-access-sexual-health-services
Currently Zy+ is collaboration with ZNNP+ are currently in process to reviewing and are putting in place the
gender policy for ZY+ as the organization is currently under organizational development.
The process is also being assisted by VSO.
A success story that can be shared is that of access to viral load testing by adolescents
and young people males and females. What was noticed from the data that was collected was
that the males had a small service uptake. This was affecting gender stereo types where
people always think that males do not have a health seeking behaviour and access to
routine viral load testing by adolescents .The data also showed that among the general
population people were missing out on routine viral load testing because of different
dates of medicines resupply and sample collection most males will be at work than females
thus the dates and service will mainly be aligned to females.. ZNNP+ and ZY+ engaged
the service providers and highlighted these issues. They acknowledged that this is true
and on their part they had not seen things that way. Going forward they promised to
make sure that there are times and days specifically for adolescents and also to
harmonize the medicines resupply dates and viral load sample collection on weekends
and week days. Some follow up meetings and engagements are also going to be done to
check whether these issues have been addressed.
Sexual orientation and Gender Identity training was conducted and the issues that came up were :
Systematic Community Monitoring:
The activitives Provide a base to our advocacy asks because they provide evidence and opportunity to create suastainable relations with the facilities,health care providers, policymakers, law enforcers, young people in their diversity.