10 Sep 2015

Civil society organisations continue to make their contribution towards universal access to HIV services. Some of the organisations, recently, brought their minds together to build a consensus on how the coordination of civil society could be improved in order to enhance service delivery.

Organisations such as BONELA, BONEPWA, NACA and BONASO among others were represented at this forum.

Speaking at the forum, BONASO technical director, Mr Peter Chibatamoto said the objective was to amplify the voice of a unified civil society towards the realisation of an HIV free nation. He said such meetings were meant to foster the spirit of solidarity thereby strengthening organisational mandates, adding that they were intending to have such meetings quarterly.

Chibatamoto also said there was need for increased funding support of civil society organisations to be matched by support to develop and strengthen their organisational and technical capacity.

On one hand, director of HIV prevention at NACA, Mr Joseph Kefas said it was normal for government to take advise from civil society organisations, noting that through civil society, there was need for government to make sure that in the end people get service.

He said the contribution of CSOs was mainly by providing comprehensive services and managing related interventional programmes.

These programmes include home based care services for people with AIDS related illness, caring for children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS, providing outreach HIV prevention services and providing HIV testing and counseling among others. Ends