Program Overview

Advocacy is a systematic, democratic and concerted effort to have policies, laws, practices, behaviors and systems that are detrimental to human development changed. The advocacy department can be described as the conscience of the network. It operates at the level of strategic interests and its key role is to influence policies and ensure better national response to HIV and AIDS. This department is responsible for coordinating advocacy activities and assisting members to be more active in this area. It is a watchdog, and keeps its ears on the ground especially in the policy and law arena to ensure that the country has the best possible policies in the area of HIV and AIDS. The department works closely with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare and other relevant committees. The department is involved with the Zimbabwe from Words to Action Committee (ZWAC), an HIV and AIDS advocacy group currently pushing for equitable access to treatment.

As a network we have been very influential in terms of lobbying government to have the National AIDS Trust Funds, The NGO Bill 9 (although this has been left to lie dormant), treatment roll out plan, in line with the three by five initiative Community Mobilisation and Empowerment for Improved Access to Care, Support and Treatment (CMEIACST) and lobbying for the Domestic Violence Bill to an Act of parliament. We also set an agenda with the Microbicides campaign though this has come to a halt after the latest findings of their defaults.