How quickly the MDC responds in fury over a survey indicating that its lost support among citizens of Zimbabwe. How slowly, or read … not all, do they issue a statement condemning the harassment and assault of GALZ members.  And people compare Tsvangirai to Mandela? You’ve got to be kidding.

According to the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) 2010-11 conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency in June 2011 knowledge of HIV prevention methods has increased. Knowledge on condom use and limiting sexual partners in women has increased from 65% in 2005 to 77 % in 2011. The same sample also shows an increase from 71% in 2005 to 79% for men in the 2010-11 ZDHS. In order to curtail the spread of HIV infection the government has been working with civil society and international partners in the implementation of HIV prevention interventions.

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare recorded a significant decline in both prevalence and incidences of HIV from a high of over 29% in 1999 to 14.2% in 2010. This decline has been attributed to a number of factors such as increased promotion and uptake of HIV prevention, treatment and management services. Some of these services have been provided to the people through funds from international donors and the government’s AIDS levy. Recently the United States government, through the President’s Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has approved an additional $39 million to fund HIV/AIDS programs in Zimbabwe.

In order to share scientific and community perspectives on HIV prevention interventions, the US Embassy Public Affairs Section hosted Dr Peter Kilmarx, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC- Zim) and Chamunorwa Mashoko an HIV/AIDS activist.  The meeting was meant to share knowledge on the new and emerging HIV prevention strategies in Zimbabwe and how the community is responding to these interventions. Some of the emerging HIV prevention strategies discussed included male circumcision; PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis); PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and provision of ante-retroviral therapy. However Dr Kilmarx noted that post-exposure prophylaxis is currently being used mainly for occupational incidents. Interesting figures in the use of female condom in Zimbabwe have put the country on the pole position in the world and an increase in the number of women who now access HIV testing through antenatal care has helped reduce new infections. Recently a study on a new intervention of over the counter/self testing was conducted in Malawi and the results proved to be successful though it is still subject to debate. Zimbabwe hopes to achieve coverage of 80% in male circumcision by 2015 despite the negative media reports the campaign has received so far.

During the discussion Chamunorwa reiterated that no intervention works in isolation and scaling up HIV testing is vital since it is an entry to accessing treatment. The community was also urged to share these new interventions through advocacy. Drawing experiences from his work in HIV prevention interventions, he also commended female participation in taking up the emerging HIV prevention strategies.

Walgreen a pharmacy in the US specialises in the provision of pharmaceutical services to people living with HIV. This has led to debate on the use of specialised HIV community pharmacies. A study conducted in the US shows that users of HIV-specialised Walgreen pharmacies proved significantly greater adherence to (the degree to which patients follow their prescribed drug regimen) and persistence with their therapeutic drug regimens (the time to treatment discontinuation). In these pharmacies the staff were specially trained to provide HIV services helping HIV infected individuals to be more compliant with their ARV drug.

Now taking this back to my country, statistics reveal that an estimated 1.3 million people are living with HIV in Zimbabwe making it one in every ten is HIV positive of the over 12 million estimated population. Zimbabwe whose prevalence rate is high in Africa, still has what I will call a ‘black corridor syndrome’ in regards to HIV and AIDS. In this black corridor syndrome I mean many people living with HIV keep their HIV status a secret and some even go to the extent of hiding it from their partners. In this black corridor people try to get their ART treatment in the darkest places possible without anyone finding out. They visit private doctors and some import their ART drugs not only because they can afford to, but also because they want to keep their HIV status unknown. People who suffer from this black corridor syndrome take their drugs behind a closed door or change containers that carry their drugs. All this is done to keep it as a secret as much as possible.

In such a society where people living with HIV shun disclosing their status, it means walking into a specialised HIV pharmacy will therefore not be an easy thing. Not that I am pre-judging already but if one is seen walking into such a pharmacy anyone who sees him or her will assume they are HIV positive. In the end it will mean that using services provided by HIV specialised pharmacies will be equivalent to disclosing your status. I believe in these pharmacies because through specialization they are able to meet the needs of people living with HIV hence increasing their patient outcomes. But at the same time I am concerned of certain factors. Won’t it be segregation towards HIV positive people and what of HIV negative users? It’s a battlefield of the mind already and would Zimbabweans embrace specialised HIV pharmacies?

I laughed my lungs out reading President Mugabe’s words to encourage women of Zimbabwe to have babies. “We want more children. Give us more children you women. Muri kurambirei navo? Mimba makapirwei? Aiwa musanyime (Why are you refusing to have children when you have the wombs. Do not be stingy).

Many have attacked the President for encouraging this in such an economy. Talk of HIV, poor health care facilities, unemployment … the list is endless. Some have affirmed his words saying increased numbers will mean increased strength for the nation. I was really touched in the sense that the President’s ‘joke’ portrays the African belief that failure to have a child should be blamed on the woman.There are many childless marriages in the country and in some where adoption is not an option for them, the husband remarries another wife to bear children for him. But who said a childless marriage means the woman is barren or is at fault?

I find it ludicrous that a Church can order anyone to leave the country. In fact, that the Church can deport anyone sounds rather from the Dark Ages. We always thought this was the job of the Immigration Department.

According to more than 260 international and local news reports listed by Google search last night, that’s exactly what the Salvation Army has done to a Canadian physician stationed in Chiweshe’s Howard Mission. And not surprisingly perhaps, at the centre of the brouhaha are allegations raised against the Church leadership of misappropriating donor benevolence, an all-too-familiar story in Zimbabwe. By assuming the role of border control, the Salvation Army could well be cutting its nose to spite the face. So, to hell (literally!) with villagers who desperately want the only doctor they have known for 17 years and want him to stay? And we always thought the men and women of faith knew better.

According to a Reuters news agency report over the weekend, a 50-something year-old man committed suicide by burning himself outside the Italian parliament. He was protesting against his joblessness, and according to the report, this was one of many suicides related to unemployment as Italians reel under harsh government austerity measures.

It got me thinking about the tough conditions Zimbabweans have endured since good governance and sound management of the economy went out of fashion. It got me thinking about the 80-plus percent unemployment in the country and just how far the jobless have tolerated their circumstances, just what figures we would be counting of self-immolation outside parliament. It does cast a very bad light on the economic injustices that have been endured here, the indignity of fathers failing to provide for their families. Indeed, troubled mothers have been heard saying such horrible things as, “if I could swallow back these kids, I would.”

That’s how bad economic injustice can be, yet the worst that emerges from these miserable circumstances is insistence by the same politicians who sow these seeds of abject misery that they deserve the people’s vote come elections.  From petty crime to crossing the crocodile infested Limpopo to larger-than-life government corruption, all this in different ways has gave its own forms of death and its time we asked ourselves tough questions as we prepare for a bruising time ahead of elections about where are headed and who we want to preside over our economic destiny.

Already, we know that some humanitarian agencies have attracted Zanu PF’s ire for claiming some people have died over the years because of starvation. How do we know some didn’t kill themselves because they couldn’t take it anymore? The story of that Italian is very telling. Yet some will say different societies have different value systems that determine how they deal with these such things suicide, yet the human condition essentially remains steeped in the basic pursuit of happiness.

And politicians have made it their sworn mission to deny people this right to happiness.