News / Health
Around 75 000 people in need of ARVs in Bulawayo
25 Nov 2013 at 19:44hrs | Views
GENDER-BASED Violence (GBV) has been identified as a leading cause of HIV prevalence among women in Bulawayo where about 75 000 people are in need of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
This comes at a time when Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating the launch the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, which started yesterday and will end on 10 December.
According to statistics from the National Aids Council (NAC), 145 people died due to HIV and Aids in the city between July and September this year.
Mrs Sinatra Nyathi, the provincial Aids coordinator for Bulawayo province, said out of the estimated 12,9 million people in Zimbabwe, about 18 percent of females were infected with HIV compared to 12 percent of males.
She said women were often victims of abusive men who have multiple sex partners outside marriage and then force their wives to have unprotected sex.
"As we mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, we should come up with effective strategies to curb GBV. It will be impossible to fight HIV and Aids without addressing GBV.
"GBV fuels the spread of HIV whose rate is still high in the country and women are still failing to negotiate for safer sex,' said Mrs Nyathi.
She urged policy makers and members of the public to fight the stigma and discrimination as a way of motivating people to be open about their status.
"If we fight stigma and discrimination, people will be able to speak out and together we will fight Aids. It is sad to note that some abuses on women are a result of them disclosing their HIV statuses," said Mrs Nyathi.
Speaking during the same occasion, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo bemoaned the lack of safe shelters for victims of GBV in the city saying it was a cause for concern.
"The 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence commemorations come at a time when we recognise that child abuse and molestation, spouse bashing, neglect and abuse of the elderly are rampant in the city.
"As council we will therefore try to allocate a stand for the building of safe shelters for GBV victims," he said.
Clr Moyo said GBV was not compatible with development of a just, safe and healthy city.
"Women usually make up the majority of the poor in the society and it is envisaged that when women become more economically empowered, they will be less vulnerable to GBV which has taken root in our community. We should therefore work together and promote the education and financial independence of women," he said.
The global theme for the 16 Days of Activism 2013 Campaign is "From peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women!"
This comes at a time when Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating the launch the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, which started yesterday and will end on 10 December.
According to statistics from the National Aids Council (NAC), 145 people died due to HIV and Aids in the city between July and September this year.
Mrs Sinatra Nyathi, the provincial Aids coordinator for Bulawayo province, said out of the estimated 12,9 million people in Zimbabwe, about 18 percent of females were infected with HIV compared to 12 percent of males.
She said women were often victims of abusive men who have multiple sex partners outside marriage and then force their wives to have unprotected sex.
"As we mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, we should come up with effective strategies to curb GBV. It will be impossible to fight HIV and Aids without addressing GBV.
"GBV fuels the spread of HIV whose rate is still high in the country and women are still failing to negotiate for safer sex,' said Mrs Nyathi.
She urged policy makers and members of the public to fight the stigma and discrimination as a way of motivating people to be open about their status.
"If we fight stigma and discrimination, people will be able to speak out and together we will fight Aids. It is sad to note that some abuses on women are a result of them disclosing their HIV statuses," said Mrs Nyathi.
Speaking during the same occasion, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo bemoaned the lack of safe shelters for victims of GBV in the city saying it was a cause for concern.
"The 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence commemorations come at a time when we recognise that child abuse and molestation, spouse bashing, neglect and abuse of the elderly are rampant in the city.
"As council we will therefore try to allocate a stand for the building of safe shelters for GBV victims," he said.
Clr Moyo said GBV was not compatible with development of a just, safe and healthy city.
"Women usually make up the majority of the poor in the society and it is envisaged that when women become more economically empowered, they will be less vulnerable to GBV which has taken root in our community. We should therefore work together and promote the education and financial independence of women," he said.
The global theme for the 16 Days of Activism 2013 Campaign is "From peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women!"
Source - Chronicle
