HIV/AIDS Clinics in Zimbabwe Close When Doctors, Nurses Join Strike by Health Workers

Opportunistic infections clinics at three hospitals in Zimbabwe have closed after doctors and nurses joined a growing strike by health workers in the country, VOA News reports. The clinics at the Parirenyatwa, Harare and Chitungwiza hospitals provided services to people living with HIV/AIDS, including antiretroviral drugs and treatment for illnesses related to the disease.

The Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently recommended that Zimbabwe's application for up to $500 million in the eighth round of funding be approved, VOA News reports. However, Benjamin Mazhindu -- chair of the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with AIDS -- said that although resources from the Global Fund could help re-open the clinics, many HIV/AIDS patients could die before services are made available again. Mazhindu said that members of his organization are planning to meet with Health Minister David Parirenyatwa on Thursday to discuss the closure of the clinics.

HIV/AIDS advocate Chitiga Mbanje said that many people in Zimbabwe hope to address critical issues, such as HIV/AIDS, after there is a resolution to the current political crisis in the country (Manika et al., VOA News, 10/29).