Join us for a discussion and Q&A with the Arab-American community on USAID job opportunities and pursuing careers in international development.
EVENT: Join USAID Administrator Samantha Power for a conversation with the Arab-American community. We’ll discuss USAID job opportunities and outline how to pursue careers in international development.
RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/guUkvpXr
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INVITATION FOR SUPPLIER REGISTRATION
Deadline: 13 December 2022
Current and prospective suppliers are invited to participate in ActionAid Zimbabwe supplier vetting and selection process. Prospective vendors who satisfy the predetermined vetting and selection criteria shall form part of our approved and preferred list for the year 2023.
List of services required covers the following:
▪ Accommodation and conferencing
▪ Catering (teas, lunches and refreshments)
▪ Promotional & IEC materials (t-shirts, banners, printing)
▪ Computer consumables
▪ Stationery
▪ ICT services (networking, software & hardware repairs)
▪ Communication equipment
▪ Internet service provision
▪ Office furniture supply
▪ Videography, photography and editing
▪ Art (skits, animation, road shows, graphic designing)
▪ Translators (French, Spanish, Tonga, Ndebele, Shona)
▪ Vehicle hire-trucks, off road vehicles, shuttle
▪ Taxi Services
▪ Travel Agents (For Air-tickets)
▪ Transport Services (Minibuses, trucks)
▪ Container Suppliers
▪ Vehicle sales, parts and servicing
▪ Repairs & maintenance of vehicles/bikes, generators
▪ Building materials
▪ Fencing materials, irrigation materials, drip irrigation
▪ Insurance (motor vehicle/bikes)
▪ Electric gates maintenance
▪ Repairs & maintenance of buildings
▪ Borehole drilling (solar powered boreholes, treadle pumps, pressure pump)
▪ Borehole spares
▪ Dip tank poles
▪ Solar installation & equipment
▪ Livestock-chicks, cattle, goats, pigs
▪ Agricultural equipment-feed plants, AI equipment
▪ Fuel
▪ Water & sanitation
▪ Stock feed
▪ Drugs & vaccines
▪ Seed & cuttings
CONSULTANCY – THEMES
▪ Tax justice
▪ Gender
▪ Unpaid care work
▪ Agro – ecology
▪ Value chain development
▪ Market analysis
▪ Policy and advocacy analysis
▪ Fundraising (Business Development)
▪ Evaluations (baseline, mid–term)
REQUIREMENTS
Interested companies should meet the following requirements and provide certified copies of documents as listed below:
▪ CR14 form
▪ Certificate of incorporation
▪ Current tax clearance certificate
▪ Company profile detailing (physical location & contact details, product or service list, at least 3 reputable and verifiable references, payment terms and Banking details).
To apply
All applications are advised to clearly mark the category applied for and drop in sealed envelopes.
Procurement Committee,
ActionAid Zimbabwe,
26 Divine Road, Milton Park,
Harare.
ActionAid has articulated a strong stand on gender justice and safeguarding through its child protection and antisexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse policies which all service providers are expected to abide by.
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SUPPLIER REGISTRATION
The Union Zimbabwe Trust is inviting suppliers and service providers in the following categories to participate in a vetting and selection process. Successful service providers will be listed on our approved suppliers list and considered for supplying our requirements during the year 2022 and 2023.
GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION
1. Suppliers with multiple services that cover various categories should submit separate documentation for each category
2. Current Union Zimbabwe Trust suppliers are encouraged to apply
3. This advertisement is an invitation to do business and not an offer to provide goods and services
4. The Union Zimbabwe Trust reserves the right to accept or reject after assessment process
The following supporting documents are to accompany the application:
– Application Letter including all Contact Details
– Company profile (Maximum of 5 pages)
– Certificate of incorporation
– Memorandum and Articles of Association
– CR14
– Valid ITF263 Tax Clearance Certificate
– Trade licence (If Applicable)
– Three traceable references preferably in the NGO sector for the category applied for
1. General Supplies/Services
• General office stationery
• Clearing and Forwarding Services Groceries – wholesalers/ supermarkets/ green grocery
• Water supply and water coolers
2. Media and Publishing
• Videography and Photography services
• Advertising
• Talk and roadshows & Spot messages
• Branding and Signage
3. Computers and IT Services
• Printer sales, cartridges/toner
• Computer hardware accessories
• Network Infrastructure services
• PABX
• ICT Softwares
• Cellphone sales & services
• Repairs & maintenance services (Computers, Copiers, Printers, etc)
4. Motor Vehicle/Cycle Sales, Maintenance & Fuel Services
• Motor vehicle/cycle sales
• Motor vehicle/cycle repair/maintenance
• Lubricant
• Vehicle & motorbikes fittings and accessories
• Riding Gear
• Liquid fuel – cards and coupons
• Fuel storage rental services
5. Insurance
• Insurance services and broking (assets)
6. Travel Agents & Transportation Services
• Courier Services
• Vehicle hire, and leasing services
• Taxi services
• Vehicle towing Services
• Flight booking
8. Office Furniture & Equipment
• Office furniture and fittings & household electricals
9 Security Services
• Guard Services (office and residential buildings)
• CIT Services
• Access Control, Alarms & Rapid Response etc.
• Locksmith services
• Vehicle Tracking
• Firefighting equipment & maintenance
10. Conference facility, accommodation, and meals
• Outside catering & Confectionery services
• Décor and events management services
• Conference facilities & accommodation, lodging, bed & breakfast
11. Power backup Services
• Generator supply and maintenance
• Solar power supply and maintenance
• Uninterrupted power supply system (UPS)
12. Professional Services Consultancy
• Audit services
• Legal services
• HR/Team building services
• DJs/MCs/Edutainers
• Training services
• Translation and Interpretation services
13. Designing, Printing and Photocopying
• Designing and Printing,
• Photocopying services
• Corporate branding
• Promotional Items
• Designing and printing of IEC material
• Field bags for outreach work
• Camping equipment/tents supply and hire services
• Sportswear and Equipment
14. Auctioneers
15. Medical Supplies, Equipment & Consumables
• Glucometers
• Glucostrips
• Scales
How to Apply
1. Click on the link to complete the registration form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19RZMOk3JjQdElnIGzMxM5-aJ0lLkqCpUrsFzO8-xma8/edit
2. Interested Suppliers should submit an electronic application package by the 12th of December 2022 clearly stating your Category for consideration to: [email protected]
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ARVs default rate on the rise
WITH three million new HIV infections recorded in the world between 2020 and 2021, the search for a cure for HIV becomes are ever more important.
Experts believe that having 40 million people living with HIV on lifelong treatment is not sustainable in the long-term.
The recently ended United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s call to pool US$18 billion for the Global Fund highlighted the urgent need for a cure.
The US$18 billion is for treatment, and with antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppressing the virus only, a cure is urgently needed.
World Health Organisation (WHO) director of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes, Dr Meg Doherty, said there is growing burden of new HIV infections.
“HIV prevention efforts have stalled, with 1,5 million new HIV infections in 2021 – the same as 2020.
“There were 4 000 new infections every day in 2021, with key populations (sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, people in prisons and transgender people) and their sexual partners accounting for 70 percent of HIV infections globally.
“Long-acting cabotegravir is a safe and highly effective HIV prevention tool, but isn’t yet available outside study settings,” she said.
Statistics as at June 2022 shows that people defaulting from ARVs first line were 49 944 and third line 489, from a total of 1,2 million people living with HIV as compared to 2019, when second line was 389.
Community Working Group on Health executive director, Mr Itai Rusike, said there has been an increase in the number of people defaulting on ARVs.
“The country is still experiencing an increased number of people who are defaulting on HIV medication.
“Even though ARVs are mostly provided free of charge at our public health institutions, there are still a number of barriers to treatment, such as transport costs, diagnostic costs and logistical challenges for Zimbabweans outside the country, especially from areas along our borders, but who rely on their ARVs supply from the country.
“The current challenges of drug abuse are also another contributing factor for defaulting on HIV treatment,” he said.
Mr Rusike said there is a need to understand reasons for defaulting in order to design improved treatment retention.
“But, what is encouraging is that Zimbabwe has almost 1,4 million people living with HIV and 1,3 million are on treatment, which is highly commendable even though we would want to have everyone living with HIV to be on treatment,” he said.
Zimbabwe Medical Awards Trust chairperson, Dr Josephat Chiripanyanga, urged people to take the virus seriously.
“There are a lot of new cases of HIV and people are also defaulting on their treatment. This is mainly because people are now reluctant, and they are saying HIV is no longer deadly as it was before,” he said.
“It has also affected us as medical practitioners in terms of managing patients with HIV and AIDS because people no longer see the importance of abstinence, the importance of taking PREP and PEP.
“We want to warn the general public that HIV is still there and people are still dying, and if you take your medication you will leave a normal and healthy life.”
Life Empowerment Support Organisation executive director, Ms Olive Mutabeni, said major defaults were witnessed during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“Major causes of defaulting were caused by Covid-19 necessitated lockdowns.
“People were afraid of moving around to collect their medication and afraid of disclosing their status at road blocks.
“Another thing we noted during our community monitoring was the issue of test and treat, which is leaving the patients very dull because mentally they will not be prepared to accept,” she said.
She added that there is a need for the establishment of support groups that educate people on treatment literacy.
“People are still in negative mode. Treatment literacy is now limited due to limited health workers, and they are overwhelmed. Stigma and discrimination is still there, hence people are now defaulting.
“We need to revisit our palliative care, because it starts from the diagnosis process.
“More supportive care and treatment literacy and support groups,” said Ms Mutabeni.
In July, 2020, an HIV vaccine trial called Imbokodo was stopped in South Africa after it was found to be 25 percent or less effective in stopping HIV infection.
However, HIV vaccine trials continue to take place in Mexico and Brazil among the transgender community settings.
There are also trials on gene therapy in the UK and US.
A Ugandan researcher, Dr Cissy Kiyto, explained how gene therapy works.
She said the two methods, In-Vivo and Ex-Vivo, entail a therapy inside the body and the other outside in the laboratory.
“Gene therapy can be done as Ex-Vivo, outside the body, genetically modified with no need for a donor.
“The cells are taken from the patient again, so no challenges of matching donors, no fear of rejection of the cells because they belong to the patient. When modified, the cells are planted back into the bone marrow.
“With In-Vivo, an injection is given, this is the goal, we are not yet there, we will get there one day. Currently, we are working on ex-vivo. The two procedures, ex-vivo and in-vivo require no donor,” she said.
Read moreZimbabwe is the first county in Africa to announce regulatory approval for long-acting injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention
Today, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe announced that it has approved the use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.
This follows the WHO recommendation, announced in July 2022, that CAB-LA may be offered to people at substantial risk of HIV acquisition as part of comprehensive HIV prevention approaches. Two large studies showed that CAB-LA injections every 2 months were safe, well-tolerated, and highly effective in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men and transgender women and among cisgender women. WHO released comprehensive guidelines, calling for countries to consider this effective prevention option, and highlighted the need for implementation science to support its introduction. CAB-LA is the third PrEP product recommended by WHO for HIV prevention. Tenofovir-based oral PrEP was recommended in 2015 and the dapivirine vaginal ring, another long-acting product, in 2021. The availability of these three products provides increased choices for HIV prevention.
Until now, CAB-LA has only received regulatory approval in 2 high-income countries. First, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use for HIV prevention in December 2021. In August 2022, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) was the second national regulatory body to approve CAB-LA. Zimbabwe is the first country in Africa and first low- and middle-income country to do so.
“WHO welcomes the news that Zimbabwe has approved the use of CAB-LA, which will pave the way for its use, providing more safe and effective options for HIV prevention,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes.
There is considerable interest from communities in this new effective HIV prevention option.
“Accelerating HIV prevention for girls and young women requires an expansion on choices available. I am excited and proud to know that my own country Zimbabwe has approved the use of CAB-LA. This will contribute to our basket of HIV prevention tools that work for us as girls and women in Zimbabwe,“ commented Ms Nyasha Sithole, Development Agenda for Girls and Women in Africa Network (DAWA), Zimbabwe.
Regulatory approval is a crucial step in making CAB-LA available to individuals who could benefit from this new PrEP choice, and WHO will support countries to design and develop programmes so that CAB-LA can be implemented, safely and effectively, for greatest impact. However, access to CAB-LA remains a challenge globally and making CAB-LA available at an affordable price in low- and middle-income countries is critical.
WHO welcomed the announcement of a voluntary licensing agreement for patents relating to CAB-LA between ViiV Healthcare and the Medicine Patent Pool. WHO is working with a consortium of partners, including AVAC, Unitaid, the Global Fund, UNAIDS and PEPFAR, to support the immediate need for delivery of CAB-LA as well as future generic production.
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COVID-19: Govt Announces New Regulations On Face Masks
The government has gazetted Statutory Instrument 169 of 2022 making it mandatory to wear face masks in public places.
According to the regulations, which were announced by the Minister of Health and Childcare, members of the public are obliged to wear masks indoors at workplaces and places to which the public has access or in public conveyances (taxis and commuter omnibuses and passenger trains and aeroplanes).
As for outdoors, face masks are mandatory for people who have not been vaccinated for COVID-19 “at least twice”. Reads SI 169/22:
Read moreTHE Minister of Health has, in terms of section 8(1) of the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) Regulations, 2020 (published in Statutory Instrument 77 of 2020), made the following order:—
1. This order may be cited as the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) (Amendment) Order, 2022 (No. 42).
2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) Order, 2020), published in Statutory Instrument 200 of 2020, the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) Order, 2022), published in Statutory Instrument 67 of 2022, is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (f)—
“(g) the wearing of face masks is mandatory —
(i) indoors at workplaces and places to which the public has access, or in public conveyances (taxis and commuter and other buses, goods, public service vehicles and trains and aeroplanes carrying passengers);
(ii) outdoors in public places, except for those individuals who are fully vaccinated (that is to say those who have been vaccinated at least twice against COVID-19).”.
THE National AIDS Council (NAC) has confirmed Zimbabwe’s approval to host the 2023 International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, ICASA 2023.
Contacted for comment, NAC Chief Executive Officer said they were finalizing modalities ahead to their meeting with the head of state, President Emerson Mnangagwa next week where a formal announcement will be made at a national level.
“We are now working on the finer details so that the official announcement will be made on Monday 17 October,” said Dr. Madzima.
The final decision by ICASA follows a recent visit by the International Conference of AIDS and STIs Africa (ICASA) Executive Board where they had come to assess Zimbabwe’s capacity to host the 2023 ICASA conference. Zimbabwe threw their name in hat at the 2021 International AIDS Conference that was held in Montreal Canada where Zimbabwe among five other African countries to be considered for hosting the prestigious conference. From the five countries that submitted, only Zimbabwe and Kenya have made it to the top two countries.
The inequalities which perpetuate the AIDS pandemic are not inevitable; we can tackle them. This World AIDS Day, 1 December, UNAIDS is urging each of us to address the inequalities which are holding back progress in ending AIDS.
The “Equalize” slogan is a call to action. It is a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS. These include:
Data from UNAIDS on the global HIV response reveals that during the last two years of COVID-19 and other global crises, progress against the HIV pandemic has faltered, resources have shrunk, and millions of lives are at risk as a result.
Four decades into the HIV response, inequalities still persist for the most basic services like testing, treatment, and condoms, and even more so for new technologies.
Young women in Africa remain disproportionately affected by HIV, while coverage of dedicated programmes for them remains too low. In 19 high-burden countries in Africa, dedicated combination prevention programmes for adolescent girls and young women are operating in only 40% of the high HIV incidence locations.
Only a third of people in key populations— including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs, sex workers, and prisoners—have regular prevention access. Key populations face major legal barriers including criminalisation, discrimination and stigma.
We have only eight years left before the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat. Economic, social, cultural and legal inequalities must be addressed as a matter of urgency. In a pandemic, inequalities exacerbate the dangers for everyone. Indeed, the end of AIDS can only be achieved if we tackle the inequalities which drive it. World leaders need to act with bold and accountable leadership. And all of us, everywhere, must do all we can to help tackle inequalities too.
Activities will build up to World AIDS Day from November. The World AIDS Day report will be released in late November.
On World AIDS Day on 1st December, events will take place across the world. These activities will be led not only by official bodies but also, most importantly, by communities. Through photos and videos shared by groups on social media and aggregated by UNAIDS, people will be able to have a sense of the kaleidoscope of events taking place and be inspired by the determination and hope.
“We can end AIDS – if we end the inequalities which perpetuate it. This World AIDS Day we need everyone to get involved in sharing the message that we will all benefit when we tackle inequalities,” says UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “To keep everyone safe, to protect everyone’s health, we need to Equalize.”
Adaptable materials for World AIDS Day will be shared on the UNAIDS special World AIDS Day page, beginning in October.
https://www.unaids.org/en/2022-world-aids-day
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By Staff Reporter
Election season is an extremely challenging time for communities and law enforcement agencies in Zimbabwe especially in the rural areas, usually characterised by clashes.
This year’s 26 March by-elections provided a glimpse of that as civilians clashed numerous times with law enforcement agents during political gatherings.
This has always widened the gap between police agencies and the communities.
However, non-governmental local organisation 4-H Zimbabwe has committed itself to change the tide and narrative by creating initiatives that foster unity between civilians and law enforcement agents.
Wednesday, 4-H Zimbabwe hosted a community peace talk discussion in Macheke, in which they brought the community and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) together.
“One of our thematic areas as an organization is to push for peace, so as we head for the coming 2023 election we felt it is wise to engage the law enforcers which are the police in this instance and come up with social programs between them and the community members.
“The public should not fear the police but rather they should know that the police are there to protect them and help in maintaining social order but the only way citizens can appreciate this is through educating and informing them, which is why we are here,” said 4-H Zimbabwe director John Muchenje.
The event provided a platform for a community interface with ZRP speaking on some of the challenges they face during election season and in the process also gave citizens a chance to air their worries with the law enforcers, through sport.
Muchenje said, “Sport is a unifier that we all know, so as an organization we saw it wise to include it as part of our program.
“We believe both parties involved will have their relationship improved as they play these games.”
The NGO Zimbabwe has been working around the country to promote peace. A fortnight ago they launched a student for peace campaign at the University of Bindura Science Education which aims to end the use of students by political leaders as tools for violence.
Among a plethora of its initiatives 4-H Zimbabwe has been supporting communal farmers in rural areas to adopt smart agriculture farming by providing knowledge, skill and equipment.
Ward 29 councilor in Macheke Kurayi Hoyi applauded 4-H for their initiative which seeks to foster peace in the community at the same time creating a relationship between law enforcement forces and the people.
“We are happy with what 4-H is doing in our area. They have been helping our local farmers and now they are pushing for peace which we believe is key in our community. The platform they created today helped to promote peace and cohesion within the community.
“We are happy we had members of the Police with us which is a very good thing because both parties went as far as playing sporting games together, this ensured that the police community interacted with the public which I believe is a good way of promoting sustainable peace,” he said.
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CHILDREN as young as five years old have been identified as victims of child labour and sexual exploitation due to Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economic situation.
A report by the United States (US) Department of Labour titled 2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (in) Zimbabwe said 40,4% of children aged five to 14 were working to supplement their families’ incomes.
“Zimbabwean children living in border towns are trafficked to South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia, where they become victims of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour in domestic work,” the report read.
“Some families recruit rural children, especially orphans, to work in cities, often with promises of education or adoption. Such children are subject to domestic service or are forced to work in mining. Girls, as young as 11, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, particularly along major transit corridors and in mining areas.”
This comes as surveys have revealed an increase in school dropouts across the country.
A report released recently by the Union of Education Norway in partnership with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association revealed that Zimbabwe recorded a 20% increase in school dropouts since the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak.
In April, the Family Aids Caring Trust Zimbabwe revealed that close to 20 000 girls dropped out of school during the same period.
Poverty has been blamed for the school dropouts amid indications that most learners are being forced into all sorts of piece jobs to make ends meet.
The US said Zimbabwe’s laws prohibited forced labour, but were not sufficient to criminalise slavery.
“In 2021, Zimbabwe made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. The National Assembly began consideration of amendments to the Labour Act, which would increase penalties for child labour violations.
“The government, with the United Nations, also launched an updated Sustainable Development Co-operation Assistance Framework, prioritising increased educational access and social protections for girls and other groups vulnerable to child labour.
“However, Zimbabwe is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because it implemented a practice that delays advancement to eliminate child labour.”
Efforts to get a comment from Public Service minister Paul Mavhima were fruitless as he said he was “busy”. He did not respond to questions sent to him.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa was not picking calls. Her deputy Kindness Paradza referred NewsDay to Public Service ministry secretary Simon Masanga whose number was not reachable. Posting on Twitter last week, Information ministry secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said: “Did you know that when your children assist you in the field, some are defining that as ‘child labour’? So when certain countries say there is child labour in Zimbabwe, this is what they are talking about. And there are NGOs in Zimbabwe writing reports to that effect”.
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