Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Partnership Project & Behaviour Change

The national response to HIV and AIDS covers strategic planning and coordination, prevention of new infections,treatment, care, and support. This report focuses on prevention efforts. The Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDSStrategic Plan (2006–2010) states that prevention of new infections is the cornerstone of the national HIV andAIDS response. HIV awareness is high and behavior has begun to change: Both men and women have fewersexual partners, and condom use with occasional partners has risen.Per capita condom distribution, marketing, and consumption, which have steadily expanded since the 1990s, arethe highest in Southern Africa. Major radio and TV programs have also addressed HIV prevention. Billboards,posters, and brochures are used for reminders. VCT sites, both mobile for hard-to-reach populations andintegrated into health institutions, have been established throughout the country.While national efforts to prevent new HIV infections have significantly expanded over the past few years, manyinfections actually occur among married adults—a group that BCC strategies do not sufficiently address. Nor hasthere been enough focus on the most at-risk groups: young people who are already sexually active, sex workers,and mobile populations. Furthermore, prevention service coverage and uptake, such as counseling and testing andPMTCT, are not yet adequate, especially in rural areas.6 Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Partnership Project & Behaviour Change Programme: A Joint USAID/DFID Assessment