MORE than 300 ordinary Zimbabweans will be allowed free entry to the 2023 International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) to be hosted in Harare in December next year.
The conference is slated to run from 3 to 9 December next year. Since between 10 000 and 12 000 are expected to physically attend the hybrid event, it will be hosted in Harare where there are bigger conference facilities compared to Victoria Falls.
About 4 500 attended ICASA 2015 in Harare while more than 8 000 attended the last physical event in Kigali, Rwanda in 2019.
Last year’s event was held virtually and hosted by South Africa in Durban where 4 800 people participated.
The event is expected to open up various socio-economic opportunities for the community.
A tent will be set up on the sidelines of the conference for communities to display and showcase activities revolving around HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and other health issues.
Preparations for the meeting started after Zimbabwe got the nod to host the high-level event which is organised by the Society for Aids in Africa (SAA).
In keeping with the ICASA mandate, countries planning to host the conference have to get clearance from their government’s highest authority before bidding to host the event.
President Mnangagwa in September gave the nod and approved the bid to hold the summit when the ICASA board visited to assess facilities.
The international steering committee specifically selected to plan for the conference held a two-day preparatory meeting which ended in Victoria Falls on Friday during which objectives, theme and logo for the conference were proposed.
Alive to the fact that HIV and Aids have been relegated to the periphery because of pandemics and other emerging diseases, the committee proposed that the theme should be: “Aids is not over: Address inequalities, accelerate innovation and inclusion.”
Five major objectives of inequalities, innovation, investing in what works, increasing financing and resilience and preparedness were proposed.
The logo for the conference depicts the Zimbabwean map highlighted within the continental map, with the Zimbabwe bird and rays of light shining on the whole continent.
ICASA president Dr David Parirenyatwa said the logo shows the spirit of Pan-Africanism, African-led and African-sponsored solutions.
“ICASA believes the world is now at an era where the focus has changed from HIV and Aids alone to include STIs, tuberculosis and other infectious and emerging diseases like cancer and pandemics,” he said.
Dr Parirenyatwa said Zimbabwe offered to host the event because of the imminent benefits.
“We went for the bid because we were aware of the benefits that will accrue from hosting 12 000 people who will pay tax, accommodation, visa fees, and spend locally in shops. Our researchers will have a platform to take ownership of the science field and this part of the political breakthrough on our engagement and re-engagement policy,” he said.
Addressing journalists at the close of the meeting, ICASA director Dr Luc Armand Bodea said there are immense benefits for communities.
“This conference brings visibility to the host country in terms of research, ordinary business, tourism, the economy in general, accommodation and transport sectors as the country will leverage knowledge and business opportunities. Key populations will have space, to interact and learn from each other,” he said.
“This is a platform for the community to voice out their concerns and let leaders know the problems they face so they can get addressed.”
Dr Bodea said more benefits will accrue after the event as funders will pour money into various health programmes.
He said the preparatory meeting was deliberately held in Victoria Falls as a strategy to market the destination to the world ahead of the conference.
“In terms of benefits, Government will take care of about 300 participants who will be mostly from rural areas to the conference,” said Dr Bodea.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro who was representing Vice President and Health Minister Dr General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga said Government is behind the hosting of the event and will support organisers. – The Chronicle
