Voice of America - September 11, 2006
Carole Gombakomba
Washington

A plan to battle HIV-AIDS put forth by Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council has come under attack by activists who say that while the strategy looks good on paper it may not be feasible in practice. The four-year plan aims to make existing programs more effective in delivering anti-retroviral drugs and supplementary nutrition.

The National AIDS Council is the main beneficiary of the country's national AIDS levy which deducts contributions from payrolls to fund the fight against the disease. But it has been criticized for misusing funds - the state-run Herald newspaper on Saturday quoted Deputy Health Minister Edwin Muguti as accusing the council of paying high salaries to its officers and splurging on luxury cars at the expense of the sick.

Zimbabwe National Network of People Living With AIDS Chairman Benjamin Mazhindu told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that he doubts the new strategic plan will do much for those living with HIV-AIDS.

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