From left(Front): Dr. Bernard Madzima, CEO of NAC assisting Hon. Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa, SAA/ICASA 2023 President, with H.E. Dr. C. G.D.N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Childcare/ICASA 2023 Vice President, Zimbabwe, being assisted by Air Commodore (Dr.) Jasper Chimedza, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Health and Child Care, at the signing of the MoU at State House, Harare, Zimbabwe
In the background, From left: Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director, H.E. Emerson Mnangagwa, President of. Zimbabwe, Prof. Morenike Ukpong, SAA Treasurer and Dr. Fikile Ndlovu, SAA Deputy Secretary General, during the Signing of the ICASA 2023 MoU, State House, Harare, Zimbabwe
By Dickson Bandera
Various stakeholders have pledged support towards the International Conference for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) 2023 to be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from the 4th to the 9th of December 2023.
The president of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Cde E. D Mnangagwa signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the ICASA delegation on October 17 at a colourful ceremony at the State House in Harare, setting the tone for the commencement of preparations.
Zimbabwe won the bid to host the 22nd edition of the prestigious international conference, beating Kenya in the final round of selection and the country is excited to attract international visitors for the second time, having hosted the 2015 edition in Harare.
In 2015, Zimbabwe had only 4 months to prepare for the conference after Tunisia who was scheduled to host the event pulled out at the last minute because of political turmoil that rocked the North African country then.
Seven years later, the conference returns to Zimbabwe and expectations are high that this time with more than 12 months to prepare, the country will put up a five star summit experience.
Hosting the conference comes at a time when Zimbabwe has up-scaled efforts to increase arrivals of international and local visitors to destination Zimbabwe under the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy launched by the president, Cde E. D Mnangagwa in August 2020 in Victoria Falls.
Conferences are among the target forms of tourism being pursued by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, under the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) tourism.
Remarkable successes have also been recorded by the country’s Health and Child Care Ministry and its partner organisations that include the National AIDS Council (NAC) and the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV with regards to response to HIV/AIDS and STIs prevention and impact mitigation programmes, hence earning Zimbabwe a place among model countries.
During a meeting held at the Holiday Inn in Harare on Wednesday, stakeholders from sectors, among them, tourism, key and vulnerable populations, people living with HIV, media, entertainment and parliament expressed excitement that Zimbabwe would be hosting the conference and pledged full support for the success of the summit.
The meeting saw in attendance a highly powered top table that had the SAA President, Dr David Parirenyatwa, the ICASA Director, Mr Luc Armand Bodea, SAA Treasurer, Prof Morenike Oluwatoyin Ukpong, UNAIDS Country Director, Dr Sophia Musaka Munaco, National AIDS Council Board member, Dr Matthew Mare and Dr Owen Mugurungi- Director in the AIDS, TB Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
UNAIDS Country Director, Dr Sophia Mukasa Munaco assured that UNAIDS would render full support for the conference.
“On behalf of the United Nations system in Zimbabwe and the world at large, we are pledging our support in ICASA 2023 as we usually do in all ICASAs.
“If you look at the history of ICASA from the inception, UN has always been there, among other things we do, we pledge technical assistance right from today up to the end of ICASA.”
“We also pledge mobilising the communities not only to be involved but to be engaged in ICASA,” she added.
Dr Sophia also hailed the government of Zimbabwe for its strides towards the 95-95-95 targets.
“The country is on 95.6% of people with HIV knowing their status, 95,4% on treatment and 83% at viral suppression,” she said.
The 95-95-95 targets were launched in 2014 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) with an aim to diagnose 95% of all HIV-positive individuals, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 95% of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 95% of those treated by 2030.
According to the UNAIDS, Zimbabwe has made great progress in the response to HIV over the past decade. It is estimated that 1.2 million of the 1.3 million people living with HIV in the country are now on life-saving medicines. AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 63% since 2010, with new HIV infections down by 66% over the same period.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) represented by Mr Walter Chakwizira from the National Conventions Bureau indicated that they would partner with other stakeholders to ensure Zimbabwe runs the conference perfectly and even surpass expectations.
“As ZTA we are more than ready to work with other stakeholders to make sure the event is a success. We are counting on our 2015 experience to make sure we do better in 2023.”
“It is our hope and desire that as soon as the dates are announced, our delegates start to make travel arrangements to Zimbabwe, accommodation arrangements, tours and activities arrangements.
“We would like to see the visitors touring the destination before and after the conference.We are elated and excited to be hosting ICASA 2023,” he added.
He also said this was an opportunity to show the world that Zimbabwe is an excellent destination.
“This time we have more time to excite them, to wow them to experience our destination. We are ready to facilitate where we can, to open the doors that we can, and make sure the event is a success,” he added.
The venue for the conference gives visitors multi-benefits given that Victoria Falls is endowed with vast natural and man made touristic attractions. A tourist who visits Victoria Falls will have access to tours of the falls, steam-train safaris, bungee-jumping, rafting and kayaking, sunset boat cruises on the Zambezi River, canoeing, crossing the gorge by swing or zipline, elephant-back safaris, walks with lions, game drives and helicopter rides over the waterfall.
The Community for Key and Vulnerable Populations represented by Mr Wilson Box promised to connect to their networks across the world and invite them to be part of the conference.
“As a community we really appreciated being invited to the table to give what we thought about ICASA coming to Zimbabwe.”
“We have various networks across the continent and world and these can’t wait to come to Zimbabwe and experience our hospitality and enjoy live in Victoria Falls. We are not going to leave anyone behind.” he said.
Mr Clarence Mademutsa representing People Living with HIV said they will mobilise their members and adequately prepare for the conference.
“This is an auspicious occasion and opportunity that we relish as people living with HIV. The conference will give us an opportunity to reflect and exchange and inquire on how other countries have achieved.”
“We will ensure that we will share on what we have done and learn from others,” he said.
Member of the Parliamentary Portifolio Committee on Health and Child Care and MP for Mufakose Constituency, Hon Susan Matsunga said parliament was ready to work with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other relevant ministries and departments to ensure that everything falls in place for the success of ICASA 2023.
Vice President Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Emmah Kativu said given that members from her society were the ones who would receive the guests, accommodate them and provide the food and activities, their team had already started to prepare to ensure visitors have a memorable experience.
“When we were growing up and you are told visitors are coming, you sweep the house, you bath you scrub your feet, you do everything you can to ensure that your guests are impressed. That’s what the association and our members are doing now. Making sure that our visitors will have a memorable experience, not just in the rooms but the restaurants and all the areas everywhere they go.”
“Preparations are already underway that we showcase Zimbabwe to our full potential and make Zimbabwe a best host destination ever,” she said.
“We pledge to work with all stakeholders and make sure that the conference is a success and ensure that we do not disappoint by working with our mother board Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and all the stakeholders involved,” she added
Musicians, Albert Nyathi, Willis Wataffi, Loveness Mainato and Alexio Kawara also pledged to use their artistic skills to mobilise people towards the successs of the conference and overall achievement of the end of AIDS by 2030 targets.
Preparatory meetings have been scheduled for 17-19 November 2022, with the second meting happening in March 2023 then the marathon meeting scheduled for August 2023.