Zimbabwe's Ngundu Growth Point tops STIs rate in Southern Africa

Ngundu Growth Point in Masvingo Province has earned itself the infamous name as the epicentre of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Southern Africa, according to the National AIDS Council (NAC).

Between 500 and 1000 haulage trucks pass through Ngundu Growth Point daily and commercial sex workers have made it their hub.  

Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the centre by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, NAC Co-ordinator for Masvingo Province,  Mr Evos Makoni said his organisation is co-ordinating a number of activities, among them educating the truck drivers and the commercial sex workers to control the spread of STIs.

"Ngundu is the epicentre for STIs and as NAC, we are coordinating a number of activities that are going on at Ngundu. SESHA is working with us helping with treatment. We have different categories in the sex workers, some of them offer their services secretly," said Mr Makoni.

A member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Paul Chimedza said it is crucial that timely intervention are applied if the country is to achieve the zero percent new infections target.

"The nature of this business centre is that there is a lot of movement for people and not much is there to generate income. But as leadership, we need to make sure this is stopped. We are targeting 0% new infections," said Dr Chimedza.

The parliamentarians took time to listen to the concerns of the sex workers, some of whom narrated how they ended taking up the world's oldest profession.

SESHA, an AIDS based organisation is also working together with the NAC to empower the sex workers on ways to protect themselves as well as offer treatment.

The sex workers commended the organisations for providing them with information and treatment for STIs.