THE Food and Agriculture Organisation has made available a US$450 000 facility to the Technical Co-operation Programme on HIV and Aids to achieve lasting improvements in the agricultural production and food security of HIV and Aids-affected households and communities in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean Agriculture Minister Cde Rugare Gumbo said his ministry realised gaps in the implementation of some priority areas of the Zimbabwe Agriculture Sector Strategy on HIV. This led to the establishment of the Technical Co-operation Programme.
Cde Gumbo commended the continued support from FAO, as the country faces the effects of the pandemic on the economy and agricultural sector in particular, which include reduced labour activity and low land utilisation, among others.
"Agricultural sector institutions are now in a unique position to contribute to national action against HIV and Aids," Cde Gumbo said.
Professor Gabriel Rugalema, a senior Aids and food security officer with FAO, said Zimbabwe was the only country that was implementing an agricultural sector strategy among all countries that his organisation had given support.
He said many countries that had formulated these strategies had either not implemented or partially implemented them.
The FAO funds will be utilised in implementing a number of priority areas outlined in the strategy, which include developing a strong and committed HIV and Aids leadership in agriculture. An HIV and Aids co-ordination office will also be set up at the ministry.
Other priorities also encompass the provision of HIV and Aids prevention services at the workplace and the development of special mitigatory programmes and economic empowerment of vulnerable groups, among others.
The Zimbabwe Aids Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan on HIV and Aids was launched in 2006 by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on agriculture, Zimbabwe’s economic mainstay.
[AIDSPortal summary]
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News Date:
6 October 2008
Source:
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
Contributed On:
6 October 2008