This was revealed by National Aids Council (NAC)
representative Abraham Ncube during the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals
Workers Union's Gwanda regional meeting held recently.
He said 3% was being deducted from workers' salaries as
Aids Levy with 50% of the deductions going towards the procurement of
anti-retrovirals (ARVs).
“This is not enough and it is being supplemented by donors
who then come in such as Global Fund and other international donors who come
with other funds to procure ARVs as well as some prevention commodities like
condoms," Ncube said.
“Maybe we need to be aware that donors are now scaling down
in general in terms of supporting the HIV response. Meaning to say where we
thought we were entitled to free condoms, maybe it's about time we should start
thinking of having a condom budget as responsible people.
“That if you are a man and say at my home there are no
condoms, well that is food for thought. We need to come out of that dependence
syndrome and think in terms of us being independent.”
Ncube said part of the Aids Levy was used to acquire ARVs
while the remainder was used for other response programmes such as prevention
activities.
“I am sure you have met NAC people teaching about HIV and I
know that other mines have peer Aids education programmes where they are
working with NAC to educate workers on HIV,” he said. Newsday
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