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.