NAC in drive to reduce HIV infections

14 Jun, 2019 - 00:06 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Phillipa Chinhoi-Mukome Post Correspondent
NATIONAL AIDS Council is intensifying education and awareness about HIV/AIDS throughout the country in its drive to meet its Vision 2030 of zero new infections.

Speaking during a tour of Midlands Province by journalists, NAC provincial manager Mr Mambewu Shumba said NAC’s mandate was to provide measures to combat the spread of HIV, management, co-ordination and implementation of programmes that reduce the impact of epidemic.

“We are working hard to make sure by 2030 that everyone is educated about HIV/AIDS and our goal is to reach zero new infections,” he said.

As of now NAC are mainly targeting gold panners, truck drivers, cross border traders where the disease is rampant.

Mr. Shumba highlighted that NAC had engaged traditional chiefs in different parts of the country to combat the issue of early child marriages and gender based violence which contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“We have another programme, whereby we have engaged traditional chiefs from around the country to help us stop the issues of early child marriages and gender based violence. These issues are very key because like gender based violence, one can run away from home after being a victim and start selling her body so that she can sustain herself,” he said.

In Gokwe South, transmission usually rises when they start selling their cotton. The challenges they face now is there is limited access to health services and schools. The Zenda area is distanced from clinics hence they resort to the use of traditional herbs and the clinics are servicing more than 12 000 people instead of  a maximum of 10 000.

NAC has also embarked on training condom distributors called Condom Champions who distribute condoms at bus termini, flea markets, beer halls. These also educate people on HIV issues.

Mr. Mambewu also added that NAC worked hand in hand with other stakeholders like CeSHHAR Clinic.  CeSHHAR is an Aids-based organisation that works together with NAC to empower sex workers to improve their sexual and reproductive health. Recent studies showed that stigmatisation and discrimination of sex workers at some hospitals and clinics in Zimbabwe was hindering their access to HIV and Aids treatment and care.

NAC also has  sister to sister programmes where a mentor recruits about 25 girls whom she will train on life skills. In Mberengwa there is brother to brother programme where boys are also given sex education. Issues of culture are also addressed.

As prisoners are also part of our community, NAC has selected peer educators from the prison to educate others in the prison about HIV/AIDS. The Council has partnered with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services in a number of projects, among them maize farming, aimed at improving nutrition at the country’s prisons.

Statistics from the National Aids Council (NAC) has revealed that Midlands is in the red when it comes to HIV infection. Save for a few places such as Gokwe North most places in the gold mining province have shown a disturbing surge of the HIV pandemic with Kwekwe topping the list. Other highest incidences were in Mberengwa and Gokwe South. The major cause of such in terms of new infections is mainly mining activities currently taking place in the province.

“The province lies on the Great Dyke where there are mining activities. What we have discovered as NAC is that every place where there is gold panning or where artisanal miners are concentrated, there are also high cases of HIV/AIDS recorded,” said Mr Shumba.

“In Midlands, the HIV prevalence stands at 13,8%. From our findings we have discovered that Mberengwa has the highest rate of HIV incidences. Gokwe South follows closely though places such as Kwekwe and Gweru are not very far from Mberengwa,” he said.

HIV incidences are very high for Kwekwe and Gweru among children. In terms of prevalence rate, Kwekwe comes first in the province and second in the country. “In terms of HIV and AIDS burden, Kwekwe is the highest in the Midlands province and comes second nationally,” Mr Shumba said.

The provincial coordinator added that currently an estimated figure of 177 286 people were living with HIV. “As of January to March this year, we had 177 280 people living with HIV in Midlands Province, with just above 133 000 of them, on Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART).”

The province has since recorded a serious increase in the number of people on ART.

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