Zambia needs to step up fight against HIV/AIDS
Written by Millennium on August 1, 2019
THAT Sub-Saharan Africa to which Zambia belongs has more AIDS victims than anywhere else in the world is a celebrated fact.
It has been reported in medical circles that over eight million of about 13 million HIV-positive adults worldwide are in sub-Saharan Africa, where transmission is primarily through heterosexual sex.
Unfortunately HIV/AIDS has become so widespread that many feel a sense of futility and engross in careless sexual behavior, seeking out juvenile girls believed to be HIV-free.
The high level of poverty in Africa makes AIDS difficult to fight including the fake belief that sleeping with small girls is an antidote to HIV.
Even with a disputation about the scope of the AIDS incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa, some would still contend that many deaths are due to endemic diseases.
But the news today that Zambia has made noteworthy strides in the fight against HIV even if more needs to be done to fully control the epidemic is quite re-assuring.
Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Patrick Mwanawasa reports that the Zambia government has made amazing headway in scaling up of HIV prevention, one of them being the provision of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).
Speaking recently during the 2019 National VMMC campaign launch for August held in Kabwe, Mr Mwanawasa reported the good news that since inception of the programme, about 2 million males have been circumcised in Zambia.
“Recent impact evaluation of the VMMC programme in Zambia showed that 26, 000 new HIV infections have been averted through VMMC,” said Mr Mwanawasa.
Mr Mwanawasa said the reduction in new HIV infections would make a significant input to the goal of attaining epidemic control of HIV once Zambia reaches its target of circumcising close to more than 2 million males by 2020.
He said to achieve the target, Zambia needs to forestall up to 308, 000 new infections by 2030 with an expected US$250 million savings in treatment costs.
Mr Mwanawasa says this year alone the programme targets to circumcise 205, 000 males but that this will call for some concerted efforts from various stakeholders including the media for continued advocacy. And Chief Shaibila of the Lala people of Mkushi in a vote of thanks, hit the nail on the head when he called on Zambians to dispel myths that surround VMMC to promote good health and community ownership of the programme so that the services were available to the people.
“VMMC has challenges that the ministry of health is facing in promoting the programme such as the belief that it offers 100 percent protection yet it only gives about 60 percent protection,
The other challenge is the fear for the pain for men and for women, having to wait for three weeks for the wound to heal before they can have sex,” said Chief Shaibila.
Chief Shaibila also had a point when said as traditional leaders they have committed to work closely with health departments to achieve the set target of reducing new HIV infections.
Chiefs should indeed engage people in their respective chiefdoms to ensure that many males available themselves for VMMC.
We think with resolute efforts by all concerned stakeholders, the fight against HIV/AIDS should become much stress-free, especially over the issue of attitude change.
It is also our appeal that energies should be stridden up to condense further new HIV infections so that Zambia can become HIV free by the year 2030.
