Mat North STI cases keep shooting up

A total of 11 000 cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) were recorded  in Matabeleland North Province last year, a 38 percent increase from the previous year's 8 000, the National Aids Council (NAC) has said.

 About 2 000 of the STI infected people also tested HIV positive.

About 3900 people were introduced to ARVs the same year.

NAC provincial coordinator, Dingani Ncube said the figures were a cause for concern as they showed behaviour has not changed in some communities and individuals.

He said the STI cases were a proxy indicator of HIV infection rate, explaining that a similar trend for HIV infections could be derived from them.

"There could also be a corresponding increase in HIV infections. This is a huge blow to our target of zero infections by 2015. Immediate action has to be taken to reverse the trend," said Ncube.

He said Hwange had the highest recorded number of new infections followed by Tsholotsho and Umguza.

Ncube said there was no indication that tourism at Victoria Falls contributed to an upsurge in STI cases.

He said NAC would intensify door to door HIV and Aids awareness campaigns to reverse the upsurge.