News / Health
HIV-related deaths going down
19 Jan 2013 at 16:14hrs | Views
The number of HIV-related deaths in Zimbabwe has gone down from 3 000 to 1 000 per week following the widespread anti-retroviral treatment (ART) programmes that Government has rolled out since 2004.
In an interview last week, National Aids Council (NAC) communications director Ms Madeline Dube said the new HIV infection rate has also declined from an annual average of 66 000 to 44 000.
The number of deaths being recorded now, Ms Dube said, occurred in border towns where many people living with the virus defaulted on treatment.
"Since we began massive anti-retroviral treatment programmes, the number of deaths has been going down.
"More people are accessing treatment and counselling; that is why the figure has declined significantly."
Ms Dube said authorities were, however, concerned about those who die as a result of late treatment.
"Many people present themselves for treatment only after falling sick. In most cases, their CD4 count will be as low as 80.
"Their immune systems will be so weak that it does not recover. In other instances, people fall ill while living in foreign countries.
"They then return home for treatment and stop taking medication once they feel stronger. This creates a problem."
The communications director said Zimbabwe's target of zero new infections and HIV-related deaths was attainable.
"It is possible for the country to record zero new infections and zero HIV-related deaths.
"We need to continue encouraging people to get tested early.
"As we speak, less than 50 percent of the population knows their status.
"We have observed that clinics manned by elderly personnel get more people tested."
Since 2004, the Government has introduced a number of programmes to fight HIV. The initiatives include preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus by testing pregnant women early and widening the accessibility of anti-retroviral drugs.
In an interview last week, National Aids Council (NAC) communications director Ms Madeline Dube said the new HIV infection rate has also declined from an annual average of 66 000 to 44 000.
The number of deaths being recorded now, Ms Dube said, occurred in border towns where many people living with the virus defaulted on treatment.
"Since we began massive anti-retroviral treatment programmes, the number of deaths has been going down.
"More people are accessing treatment and counselling; that is why the figure has declined significantly."
Ms Dube said authorities were, however, concerned about those who die as a result of late treatment.
"Many people present themselves for treatment only after falling sick. In most cases, their CD4 count will be as low as 80.
"Their immune systems will be so weak that it does not recover. In other instances, people fall ill while living in foreign countries.
"They then return home for treatment and stop taking medication once they feel stronger. This creates a problem."
The communications director said Zimbabwe's target of zero new infections and HIV-related deaths was attainable.
"It is possible for the country to record zero new infections and zero HIV-related deaths.
"We need to continue encouraging people to get tested early.
"As we speak, less than 50 percent of the population knows their status.
"We have observed that clinics manned by elderly personnel get more people tested."
Since 2004, the Government has introduced a number of programmes to fight HIV. The initiatives include preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus by testing pregnant women early and widening the accessibility of anti-retroviral drugs.
Source - SM
