Mozambique: Mozambique set to join PATAM

Mozambique set to join PATAM

By Tawanda Chisango

A Mozambican Trade Unionist raised concerns that his country is lagging behind in coming up with a roll out plan on access to Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) and the lack of involvement of his country’s civil society in the Pan African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM). Pedro Jose Mondlane who represented the Mozambican Labor Organization at the recently ended PATAM conference said that while Mozambican government and civil society are focusing on the issues of stigma and discrimination, it is also important that they engage with the central issues of treatment access and literacy.

The Mozambican government has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Brazilian government for the establishment of an Anti retroviral (ARVs) drugs company in Mozambique. Brazil is one of the leading countries in the provision and manufacturing of ARVs.Mondlane said that this was high time that the government puts in place a roll out plan on ARVs.The Mediciens Sans Frontiers (MSF) is providing ARVs in Mozambique but the program is not on a larger scale.

Njogu Morgan, International Coordinator of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) of South Africa who was part of the South African delegation and an active member of PATAM said that they are in the process of involving every country in the region. The movement has established networks, which it will use as the mainspring of its campaign. He saw the conference as an opportunity to integrate the activities of the movement and to strengthen its links with the activists in the region. He pointed out that if PATAM is to have an impact it should have a strong presence at the country level. He said that the point has been made that everyone is infected and affected and that what is needed at this juncture is social and community mobilization. TAC would want to see what it has done in South Africa being done in the whole region.

Morgan said that the movement had a lot of challenges which included a diversity of languages, differences in access to information across the region, different media regulatory environments, access to resources which are all affecting communication and information sharing across the region. “Communication has been through radio, television, and newspapers and through electronic mails and there is a need to involve the communities.” Morgan said.

PATAM is engaging governments through inter-governmental networks such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and regional initiatives such as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). PATAM also uses its network of activists across the continent to communicate with governments.

Tawanda Chisango is a reading for an Honours Degree in Media and Society in Zimbabwe at the Midlands State University.Currently attached in the Media Unit at SAfAIDS and Project coordinator of Patsimeredu Edutainment Trust.