By Brenna Matendere
The National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe (NAC) yesterday handed over Nucleic Acid Testing equipment to the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ), marking a major step forward in strengthening the country’s blood safety systems.
The development underscores NAC’s commitment to protecting lives and reinforcing the integrity of Zimbabwe’s national HIV response.
NAC Chief Executive Dr Bernad Madzima said the investment was driven by the urgent need to ensure that every unit of blood collected and transfused in Zimbabwe is safe, reliable and free from HIV and other transfusion-transmissible infections.
Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora officially commissions the new equipment pic by Daphne Machiri
“Blood safety remains a comerstone of public health, and in the context of HIV, it is a critical intervention.
” By investing in nucleic acid testing, we are embracing the most advanced technology available globally, detect infections earlier and with greater accuracy than conventional methods,” he said.
This investment reflects NAC‘s mandate to coordinate and strengthen the national response to HIV.
It is about protecting patients, supporting health institutions and reinforcing public confidence in blood services, knowing that every transfusion is backed by the highest standards of safety.
“Blood safety has always been part of the various methods of HIV prevention in use in Zimbabwe, through which the country has achieved global acclaim for effectively reducing both the HIV incidence and prevalence over the years,” said Dr Madzima.
Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora reiterated that Zimbabwe’s treatment coverage has broadened with ripple effects on HIV prevention, both contributing to the surpassing of the 95-95-95 global targets we achieved before the target date of 2025.
These achievements boldly show that new HIV infections are on a sustained downward trajectory and that Zimbabwe should now move into the next generation of HIV prevention, driven by science and innovation as already done by embracing of Lenacapavir and nucleic acid testing.
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