Staff Reporter
Preparations for Regional International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) have begun with organisers gathered in Victoria Falls.
The next year’s conference will be the second ever for Zimbabwe after the SADC country hosted the 2015 edition.
The biennial ICASA event rotates among African countries and was last held by Rwanda and South Africa in 2019 and 2021.
At next year’s event, a record 12 000 crowd is expected to attend in Harare.
Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) president who is also Zimbabwe’s former Health Minister Senator David Parirenyatwa said ICASA was designed to deal with other diseases such as cancer and Covid-19 that go beyond its primary target of AIDS.
“Our target is to end AIDS by 20230 and by that we mean stopping new infections. However while we do events such as ICASA which aims at raining awareness on HIV and AIDS, we have adopted an approach that seeks to also end other diseases such as cancer as well as Covid 19,” he said.
The 2023 ICASA hybrid exhibition will allow exhibitors to interact with thousands of delegates on-site and through virtual platforms.
Parirenyatwa said the first international steering committee held in Victoria Falls was part of a number of engagements that stakeholders in HIV programming would undertake to end AIDS anchored on three programmes – science, leadership and community.
SAA secretary-general Aliou Sylla said ICASA was advocating for the eradication of AIDS by challenging governments to provide universal health to all.
He added that the organisation also addresses issues around non-communicable diseases on the continent.
A recent UNAIDS report showed that new HIV infections dropped by only 3.6% between 2020 and 2021, the smallest annual decline since 2016.
Health and Child Care deputy minister John Mangwiro who opened the ICASA event in Victoria Falls on Thursday said next year’s edition being held by Zimbabwe presents Africa with an opportunity to resolve its own problems, particularly on tackling AIDS and other diseases
“I would also like to express my gratitude that ICASA is our conference as Africans to address issues that affect us as Africans. Nothing for us without us! We are the continent greatly affected by diseases; Southern African carries the burden of HIV and AIDS,” Mangwiro said, adding:
“While COVID-19 pandemic affected all of us, South Africa was hard hit. We still talk of Ebola. Currently, we have been talking of monkey pox.
“If given the opportunity, as Africans we have some of the solutions to these problems. Thus, why the scientific, leadership and community programme committees should help us come up with solutions to some of these challenges.”
He said the conference, which is expected to draw 12 000 people from across the globe, have the blessing of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Health and Child Care minister, as well as Zimbabweans.
“The people of Zimbabwe as a whole are excited and are eagerly waiting for you. Our great pride is our people who are hospitable and ready to serve and offer you a great experience during the preparatory, the conference time and the post conference,” Mangwiro said.
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