Munyaradzi Chimwara

Munyaradzi is the Project Lead on COMPASS Zimbabwe, advocating for quality and affordable health service delivery in Zimbabwe. His background is in media production. He got involved in microbicides in 2005 while producing a radio show on HIV/AIDS and subsequently attended Microbicides 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa. During the conference Munyaradzi noted and appreciated the role that advocacy and advocates play in microbicides trials. After having the opportunity to attend a Track D session, “Beyond Involvement: Civil society’s role in making ethical progress towards a microbicide”, conducted by the late Omololu Falobi of the Nigeria HIV Vaccine and Microbicides Advocacy Group, Munyaradzi felt he was challenged to do something about the lack of advocacy initiatives in the Zimbabwe microbicides research landscape.

Fellowship Focus
Munyaradzi’s project mainly addressed how the media reports on and is engaged in HIV prevention trials in Zimbabwe. He identified needs and opportunities to improve the media’s ongoing balanced, accurate, consistent and reliable reporting on HIV prevention trials in Zimbabwe. He provided training and resources to journalists, editors and community advisory board members.

In Their Own Words
It should be understood by all that it is the burden of the disease that has overwhelmed our continent, and it is only when we find new and better tools—including a vaccine—that women and men can use to protect themselves from HIV, only then would we truly have cause for celebration.