The Rwandan Health Minister has called for strengthened partnerships in the fight to reduce HIV infection in the country.
Dr. Anicet Nzabonimpa of the Ministry of Health, speaking on behalf of the Minister, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, urged for greater investment in campaigns targeting behaviour change, including condom use, and increasing the capacity of all people to make the right decisions in protecting themselves from HIV.
“We believe that the availability and accessibility of affordable life-saving medicines, contraceptives and other essential health supplies – especially for young people – is a vital part of a well-functioning health system that serves people in an equitable manner,” Dr. Nzabonimpa said.
Dr. Nzabonimpa was addressing delegates during the workshop on Comprehensive Condom Programming (CCP) capacity building, held in Kigali from 17-21 September 2012. The workshop was organized by the UNFPA Sub-Regional Office in Johannesburg in collaboration with UNFPA’s Rwanda Country Office. It aimed to contribute to the participating countries’ capacity to support and implement HIV prevention programmes.
The workshop was a follow-up to recommendations made after an assessment of Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) and Comprehensive Condom Programming (CCP), which was carried out in 20 countries in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) sub-region in May/June 2011. The assessment recommended the building of capacity of ESA countries to implement CCP, including the harmonization of RHCS and CCP coordination mechanisms at the country level.
UNFPA Officer in Charge, Mr. Cheikh Fall, underscored the importance of this workshop . “Comprehensive condom programming is a priority as it touches on access to and use of male and female condoms for the prevention of HIV infection and other STIs, as well as unintended pregnancies.”
The training event was attended by delegates from Rwanda, Botswana, Burundi, the DRC, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
