National meetings and local dissemination of results
The Manicaland Project disseminates its research findings at national meetings and contributes regularly to national research and policy meetings on HIV/AIDS issues. Examples of recent major meetings include the following:
Between 2003 and 2007, the project, with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, organised a series of five workshops with senior policy-makers in which mathematical models were used to address key policy questions in the design and roll-out of a number of HIV control strategies (see Reports: Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention Project. Mathematical Modelling Tools in the Response to the HIV Epidemic in Zimbabwe. Report for the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. 2008).
In 2004, the project was commissioned by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and UNAIDS to undertake a comprehensive epidemiological review to assess the evidence for HIV decline driven by reductions in sexual risk behaviour in Zimbabwe. This review resulted in a presentation to the Honourable David Parirenyetwa, Zimbabwe Minister for Health and Child Welfare, 21 September 2005, and a report published by UNAIDS in 2005. Subsequently, this work was extended to include multi-disciplinary research to establish the causes of behaviour change and HIV decline in Zimbabwe (see Publications: Halperin et al. 2011).
The project has also contributed to the development of a national cash transfer programme to assist orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS by working with Catholic relief Services and the Diocese of Mutare Community Care Programme to develop and pilot-test alternative models of cash transfers with and without conditions.
Currently, the project is assisting the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe in developing a model for improved monitoring and evaluation of HIV control programmes at the district level and on further work to establish the contribution of commercial sex work to ongoing transmission of HIV infection.
Project personnel contribute regularly to a number of national HIV/AIDS policy forums including the National M&E Advisory Committee, the PMTCT Partnership Forum, the ART Partnership Forum, and the Prevention Team for the Zimbabwe National AIDS Strategic Plan (2011-2015).
Dissemination of results within the local study areas
In 2011, early results from the fourth round of the survey were presented at a meeting of the Provincial AIDS Council in Mutare. Prior to this, the project has organised two major meetings (Juliasdale 2002 and Mutare 2006) close to the study areas to disseminate and discuss the research findings amongst local policy makers and community leaders. In addition, presentations have been made to local councillors, District AIDS Action Committees, District Health Executives, District M&E Taskforces, and at local community meetings at the beginning of each new round of the survey.
The project co-chairs the Manicaland Provincial M&E Taskforce and chairs the District M&E Taskforces for Mutasa and Makoni Districts. At these and other meetings, the research results are used to inform discussions on the development of local HIV/AIDS strategies and programmes. e.g. on ART scale-up.
The project produces Epidemic Status Reports for each of the twelve study sites after each round of data collection and distributes these to local stakeholders. Versions of these reports translated into the local language (Shona) are provided to individual research participants.
- First Zimbabwe National HIV/AIDS Conference (2004)
- Zimbabwe National OVC Research Conference (May 2006) - co-organised by the Manicaland Project
- National Consultation on Male Circumcision (2007)
- National Stakeholders Consultation Meeting on Conditional Cash Transfers (April 2008)
- UNFPA/UNAIDS Consultation on the Causes of HIV Declines in Zimbabwe (May 2008)
- International AIDS Conference Feedback Meeting (2010)
- National HIV/AIDS Know-Your-Epidemic Know-Your-Response Meeting (2010)
- HIV Competent Schools Meeting (2014)
- Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care, HIV Programmes Combined Meeting (July 2018)
- Stakeholder Workshops to Strengthen HIV Programmes in Zimbabwe (April 2022)
Between 2003 and 2007, the project, with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, organised a series of five workshops with senior policy-makers in which mathematical models were used to address key policy questions in the design and roll-out of a number of HIV control strategies (see Reports: Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention Project. Mathematical Modelling Tools in the Response to the HIV Epidemic in Zimbabwe. Report for the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. 2008).
In 2004, the project was commissioned by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and UNAIDS to undertake a comprehensive epidemiological review to assess the evidence for HIV decline driven by reductions in sexual risk behaviour in Zimbabwe. This review resulted in a presentation to the Honourable David Parirenyetwa, Zimbabwe Minister for Health and Child Welfare, 21 September 2005, and a report published by UNAIDS in 2005. Subsequently, this work was extended to include multi-disciplinary research to establish the causes of behaviour change and HIV decline in Zimbabwe (see Publications: Halperin et al. 2011).
The project has also contributed to the development of a national cash transfer programme to assist orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS by working with Catholic relief Services and the Diocese of Mutare Community Care Programme to develop and pilot-test alternative models of cash transfers with and without conditions.
Currently, the project is assisting the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe in developing a model for improved monitoring and evaluation of HIV control programmes at the district level and on further work to establish the contribution of commercial sex work to ongoing transmission of HIV infection.
Project personnel contribute regularly to a number of national HIV/AIDS policy forums including the National M&E Advisory Committee, the PMTCT Partnership Forum, the ART Partnership Forum, and the Prevention Team for the Zimbabwe National AIDS Strategic Plan (2011-2015).
Dissemination of results within the local study areas
In 2011, early results from the fourth round of the survey were presented at a meeting of the Provincial AIDS Council in Mutare. Prior to this, the project has organised two major meetings (Juliasdale 2002 and Mutare 2006) close to the study areas to disseminate and discuss the research findings amongst local policy makers and community leaders. In addition, presentations have been made to local councillors, District AIDS Action Committees, District Health Executives, District M&E Taskforces, and at local community meetings at the beginning of each new round of the survey.
The project co-chairs the Manicaland Provincial M&E Taskforce and chairs the District M&E Taskforces for Mutasa and Makoni Districts. At these and other meetings, the research results are used to inform discussions on the development of local HIV/AIDS strategies and programmes. e.g. on ART scale-up.
The project produces Epidemic Status Reports for each of the twelve study sites after each round of data collection and distributes these to local stakeholders. Versions of these reports translated into the local language (Shona) are provided to individual research participants.