New Start Centre Suspends ART, PrEP Services
The Population Solutions for Health (PSH) New Start Centre in Harare’s CBD has temporarily stopped some of its services.
Patients who need ART (HIV treatment) or PrEP (HIV prevention) refills won’t be able to get them at the centre for now.
On Thursday, the centre was only offering HIV testing. Other services like family planning and cervical cancer screening were also put on hold.
A notice at the entrance advised people to go to their local clinics for the services they need. It reads:
Please note that the New Start Centre is temporarily closed. For those due for (Antiretroviral Treatment) ART or PrEP refills, please proceed to the nearest city health clinic for assistance. Thank you for understanding.
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a medicine that helps people at high risk of getting HIV from not getting infected.
According to officials at the New Start Centre who spoke to NewZimbabwe, the only service available right now is HIV testing.
Normally, the centre offers various health services like HIV testing, PrEP, TB screening and treatment, cervical cancer screening and treatment, birth control, and STI screening and treatment.
The suspension of the services follows the recent 90-day suspension of USAID funding resulting from the implementation of President Donald Trump’s America First policy.
The US helps Zimbabwe fight HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases by providing money for things like condoms and antiretroviral drugs used in local hospitals.
