2 000 makorokozaz undergo HIV testing, counselling

ABOUT 2 000 artisanal gold miners in Insiza district have undergone voluntary HIV testing and counselling in the nine months of this year during outreach programmes in the district conducted by the National Aids Council (Nac).

Nac has begun holding outreach programmes in the district, taking HIV testing and counselling to hard to reach yet key populations such as artisanal miners. Other services such as Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) will also be offered during the outreach programmes. Insiza District Aids Co-ordinator Mr Mpilo Maboi told Sunday News that an estimated 1 700 miners had been tested in the first nine months of the year.

Mr Maboi said the outreach programme, which has so far covered 14 small-scale mines in Filabusi had seen an average of 600 artisanal miners getting tested. He, however, pointed out that the positivity rate among the small-scale miners in the district was low.

"We have tested between 600 and 700 miners each quarter. In total I think over 1 800 artisanal miners have been tested. I think we have covered 14 small-scale mines in Filabusi where our staff camp for a day at the mine premises and offer services which include HIV testing and counselling," he said.

Added Mr Maboi, "The positivity is very low. What we have discovered is that the knowledge level is very high and the artisanal miners are protecting themselves, despite being at risk."

Mr Maboi said the outreach programmes were mainly targeting artisanal miners, who normally do not have time to visit health centres because of the nature of their operations.

"The nature of artisanal mining is such that one hardly gets time to visit the clinic and get all these services. Through our outreaches, we are bringing these services right to the miners' door step. Artisanal miners are a high risk population when it comes to HIV because where there are artisanal miners you find sex workers," he said.

Recently Nac was at Busy Nest Mine in Filabusi where an estimated 120 artisanal miners tested for HIV.

Busy Nest Mine general manager Mr Taurai Siankuzi applauded Nac for bringing the services to his workers.

"This is a very good idea, considering that we don't have a clinic nearby where our workers can go to access these services. The three days off a month these workers get may not be enough for one to seek such services as HIV testing. Most of the workers come from as far as Binga and spend most of their off days travelling," said Mr Siankuzi.

An artisanal miner who got tested during the outreach programme at Busy Nest Mine, Mr Emmanuel Chaurunga described the programme as a noble intervention. Mr Chaurunga is from Gutu and came to Filabusi to seek fortune. Nac is also holding several interventions in the Matabeleland South province as part of efforts to spur the country's drive towards meeting the 90-90-90 targets Aids epidemic as a public health threat by 2020.

Some of the interventions include moonlight testing, sports and musical galas and the stop the bus campaign.

Matabeleland South province is one of the country's HIV hotspots with the highest HIV prevalence rate of about 21 percent, seven percent higher than the national prevalence rate.