About the platform
Background
The CSOs website and database project is premised in the understanding that civil society and community responses to HIV are essential to ending the AIDS epidemic. Communities support health systems and reach those most vulnerable to HIV where public health facilities cannot. The evolution of the HIV epidemic is changing the landscape of HIV response and work. CSOs have an important role to play in ending AIDS. They are operating in a changing landscape and need to find ways to remain relevant and to participate more effectively in the response. An important role is to support interventions to reduce human rights and gender-related barriers to HIV, TB and health services.
With support from UNDP, UNAIDS and the UN Joint Team; CSOs in Zimbabwe had a chance to review their strategic direction, and developed the CSO Strategic Priority Action Plan, which detailed activities and indicators to assess progress towards strategic priorities. The CSOs identified a key priority to improve the knowledge of CSOs in human rights and health and contribute to reduction in health inequalities and improve access to health services for the communities they serve.
As government provides the majority of treatment for HIV, the CSO strategic priority actions include the need to assess what is their role in supporting adherence to treatment, supporting marginalised and key populations to enable access to both prevention and treatment, and advocating for strategy and policy change to reach Universal Health Coverage.
About the ZimHealth CSOs Website and Database
The CSOs website/database is a hub of registered and validated community based and civil society organisations responding to HIV & AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), non- communicable diseases (NCDs) and general health in Zimbabwe. The project was supported by UNDP under Capacity Development; as part of the Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) Strategic Action Plan which:
- Defined the future role and mandate of civil society in supporting the achievement of 90-90-90 (and then 95-95-95); developed the Civil Society’s Charter to share CSOs’ role and mandate in the response with key stakeholder and partners.
Exploring the ZimHealthCSOs Website/Database
The website and database information structure enables user to identify and search for HIV, SRH and Health Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe by exploring the services offered by these CSOs. Services offered have been placed in the following specialties that include; Advocacy, Clinical services, Health Promotion, Research, Economic empowerment and livelihoods.
The database was also mapped by GSI coordinates and this enables users to locate CSOs in their exact locations from Provinces, down to exact districts and can provide CSOs physical addresses using either satellites or maps. CSOs profiled in the database are mapped down to the extent that when users click any province on the map; a list of CSOs operating in that particular province pops up.
Users of the website/database can also search CSOs by key words aligned to HIV and SRHR programming that include word like; Key populations, PLHIV, OVCs, MSM, Women and Gender, Youth, AGYW, LGBTIQ, Drug users.
e-Directory
The website/database also functions as an e-directory; offering contact details for CSOs that include organization email address, telephone numbers as well as names of contact persons. An efficient, effective and sustainable HIV, TB and health response system in any country requires full protection of fundamental human rights as a basic practice. This is only possible where a country has an enabling legal and policy environment for people living with and impacted by HIV and TB as well as vulnerable and key populations, including young key populations.
The website has a resources section that feature key strategic documents in the HIV and AIDS, SRHR response can be downloaded for further reference. These key documents include the Zimbabwe National AIDS Strategic Plan, Legal Environment Assessment, HIV Communication Strategy as well as other regional and international frameworks on human rights, sustainable development goals, global commitments to achieve Universal Health Coverage as well as guidelines on how to register as a PVO in Zimbabwe; to benefit those who wish to be part of the health civil society sector.
This online HIV & AIDS, SRH and Health CSOs database makes it easy for users to identify who is doing what, where and with who? Since the system helps to improve CSOs coordination; the website/database also features a detailed profile of Zimbabwe AIDS Network; the civil society coordinating platform on HIV and AIDS, SRHR and Health
With support from UNDP, UNAIDS, UN Joint Team and the Global Fund
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Mapping of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe This is the final report of the mapping of current and existing Civil Society Organizations and Community Based Organizations working on HIV/AIDS and Health in Zimbabwe.PDF 1.4 MB
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