SYDNEY MUBAIWA
ZAKA – The National AIDS Council (NAC) Masvingo Province will commemorate this year’s Provincial World AIDS Day on Friday, 12 June 2026, at Mutonhori Secondary School in Zaka District.
The event will be held under the global WORLD AIDS CAMPAIGN theme for 2025-2026: OVERCOMING DISRUPTIONS, Transforming the AIDS Response.
NAC Masvingo Provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Munorwei Munyikwa said the province hosts World AIDS Day on a rotational basis to ensure districts have equal opportunity to benefit from awareness campaigns and health services. Zaka District is the host this year.
“People from all walks of life are invited to attend,” NAC said in a statement. “The commemoration is not just about speeches. We are bringing services to the people,” he said.
He said free health services lined up for the day include: HIV testing and counselling , screening for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, cervical cancer screening, family planning services, condom distribution and other HIV prevention services
World AIDS Day is an annual global observance held every December 1st. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, the day unites people worldwide to confront the HIV and AIDS epidemic and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
While the NAC National Office holds its main commemoration on December 1st each year, provincial events are held on different dates to allow broader community participation.
The 2025-2026 theme, OVERCOMING DISRUPTIONS, Transforming the AIDS Response, acknowledges challenges such as climate change, economic shocks, and health system pressures that have impacted HIV programmes, while calling for innovative, resilient approaches to sustain progress.
Members of the public, civil society organizations, school children, traditional leaders, and government departments are expected to attend the provincial event.
