Zimbabwe has launched the OneLove campaign at community level, with the Murewa district in Mashonaland East province being the first region to take the campaign to local level.

Zimbabwe launched the OneLove Campaign at national level in June this year. The Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr. Henry Madzorera officially opened the OneLove launch which was coordinated by Action Institute of Health and Development Communication (IEHDC) and the National AIDS Council.

Partners in the OneLove Campaign in Zimbabwe include organisations working on HIV prevention initiatives such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS) and Zimbabwe Community Health Intervention Project (ZICHIRE-BC).

The OneLove Campaign is being launched at community level by Action IEHDC, a local NGO focusing on development of multimedia products in the areas of health and development and ZICHIRE-BC a community based HIV prevention organisation. ZICHIRE-BC is currently implementing the National Behaviour Change Strategy (NBCS) on HIV and AIDS in Mashonaland East Province.

Launching the campaign in Murewa represents the cascading of the OneLove Campaign to communities. Action IEHDC will work with community based HIV prevention organisation to take the campaign to other communities countrywide.

The OneLove Campaign is focusing on the reduction of Multiple and Concurrent Sexual Partnerships (MCPs) which have been identified as the key driver of the HIV pandemic in Southern Africa. MCP was also identified within the NBCS as one of the key drivers of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe. A short needs assessment exercise which was done by ZICHIRE-BC in Murewa District in 2007 also showed that the community was eager to address the issues of MCP.

The SADC region is the most affected by HIV globally. According to a 2005 UNAIDS report the adult prevalence rate in the region was estimated at almost 11% compared to the global average of just 1%. In Zimbabwe the HIV prevalence rate stands at 13.7% for the ages between 15-49 (NAC statistics 2009).

Eight other Southern African countries, namely Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia are part of the regional OneLove Campaign being co-ordinated by the Soul City Institute of Health and Development Communication, a South African based NGO.

A 10 country research was conducted to establish reasons for MCP. The findings were that the reasons for engaging in MCP across all the participating countries were similar.

Some of the reasons included the need to have a fulfilling sexual and intimate relationship. Both men and women said they could not talk about their needs and desires with their spouses or regular partners and so they sought pleasure and comfort with someone else. This practice is also reinforced by cultural and social norms that view men with more than one partner as acceptable and even desirable.

The community launch of the OneLove Campaign will be conducted at the Council Grounds at Murewa Centre and officially opened by the Member of Parliament for Murewa, Dr David Parirenyatwa. Members of the Murewa community are launching the campaign in style.

Among other things there will be a race for couples, a quiz show and couple testimonies to show the community’s understanding of the OneLove Campaign and behaviour change in the area of HIV prevention. ZICHIRE-BC and Action IEHDC are also going to take this opportunity to launch posters with local faces promoting healthy relationships.

Yellow Dust

Action IEHDC, will this month of November be airing on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Radio Zimbabwe, a radio drama series entitled Yellow Dust, which is part of the OneLove Campaign. Action IEHDC is also in the process of producing a television drama series called Big House Small House, to be aired on ZBC TV in February next year as part of the campaign. It is also producing print materials on MCP.

For more details contact the following: Caroline Majonga Action Programme Manager or Takaitei Bote Action Marketing and Advocacy Officer. Mukuvisi Environment Centre P.O Box GT 1274 Graniteside. Tel: (263-4) 747213/17/74 Fax (263-4) 747409. You can also email us on caroline@action.co.zw or taka@action.co.zw