Shanil Dzimbiri censures ‘greedy’ Aids NGOs
Former First Lady, Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, has said greed rampant in some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that champion the fight against HIV and Aids is the reason Malawi is failing to eradicate the pandemic over three decades since it was first reported.
Dzimbiri, who is also parliamentarian for Balaka West, said it was sad that NGOs source funding in the name of fighting the pandemic yet the money is squandered on non-HIV related issues.
Speaking during a ‘World Aids Day Commemoration’ held at Kankao in Balaka last Saturday, organised by Drug Resource Enhancement Against Aids (Dream), Dzimbiri said it was very unfair for people to get rich in the name of fighting Aids while in fact the money is for personal poverty alleviation.
“There are so many NGOs we read about in the papers championing the HIV and Aids cause but on the ground there is no evidence of what they are doing unlike Dream which has saved many people through provision of free quality treatment and nutritional supplements,” Dzimbiri said.
She said Malawi would have long realised the new global 90-90-90 target if NGOs were serious about implementing projects they propose in the fight against HIV and Aids.
Dave Konondo, Balaka District Aids Coordinator (DAC) said male participation in the fight against the pandemic was crucial as Balaka battles to bring down the prevalence rate from the current 12.4 percent.
Darlington Thole, Programmes Operations Officer for Dream said his organisation is bringing the clinic to the people to access vital services such as ART, HTC, PMTCT, Early Infant Diagnosis (EID), and Nutrition Support, Psycho-Social Support amongst other many innovative and leading-edge technological interventions through outreach clinics
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