03/09/2026
Team A of the Joint Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology and the Thematic Committee on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights continued their oversight visits in Masvingo, visiting Mucheke Clinic and Bondolfi Teachers College.
At Mucheke Clinic, the Committees received a detailed briefing from clinic officials on the availability, accessibility and uptake of HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services. The officials highlighted measures being taken to provide confidential, accessible and youth-friendly services, while also outlining challenges affecting effective service delivery and recommendations for strengthening the provision of these services.
The discussions focused on the functionality of youth-friendly services, confidentiality and privacy, availability of essential medicines and SRHR commodities, HIV testing and prevention, and strategies to improve HIV service uptake among young people.
At Bondolfi Teachers College, the Committees engaged with student teachers, who shared their experiences and perspectives on accessing HIV and SRHR services. The interaction provided an opportunity for students to raise concerns around the accessibility and availability of services, confidentiality, youth-friendly approaches and the uptake of HIV prevention, testing and treatment services.
The students also highlighted areas where they believe greater support, awareness and improved access to information and services are needed. Their contributions enabled the Committees to gain first-hand insight into the barriers young people face in accessing HIV and SRHR services and to identify practical recommendations for improving service delivery within tertiary institutions.
The visits reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to strengthening oversight, promoting accessible and youth-friendly health services, and ensuring that young people have access to comprehensive HIV and SRHR information and services.
