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HIV infections hit record low in Zimhbabwe
16 Jul 2023 at 04:07hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE recorded the biggest reduction in the number of new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa over the last 12 years and was one of only five countries that surpassed the United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets for the global HIV response.
According to the 2023 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update Report released on Thursday last week, Zimbabwe recorded a 78 percent decline in new HIV incidences between 2010 and 2022.
It reads: "Cameroon, Nepal and Zimbabwe have achieved major reductions in new HIV infections due to focused prevention programmes.
"Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe have already achieved the 95–95–95 targets overall, and at least 16 other countries (eight in sub-Saharan Africa) are within reach of those targets.
"Among the latter are low-income countries such as Malawi, which has targeted improvements and introduced tailored interventions in districts where testing and treatment coverage were lagging."
The 95-95-95 UNAIDS goal seeks to achieve the following by 2025: 95 percent of all people living with HIV will know their status; 95 percent of people who know their status will be on treatment; and 95 percent of people on treatment will have a suppressed viral load.
The report also attributes the country's successful response to decriminalisation of the transmission of HIV.
"Zimbabwe and the state of Nayarit in western Mexico have removed laws criminalising HIV exposure, non-disclosure and transmission
"Overall, the AIDS response tends to be most successful when it includes efforts to remove the underlying barriers (discriminatory criminal laws and policies, gender and other inequalities, stigma and discrimination, and human rights violations) that hold back progress and when there are public institutions strong enough to sustain those efforts."
The report provides an overview of the global HIV response and highlights progress that has been made in recent years.
It also identifies challenges that need to be addressed in order to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The document concluded that fewer people acquired HIV in 2022 than at any point since the late 1980s.
"The estimated 1,3 million new HIV infections globally in 2022 were over one-third (38 percent) fewer than in 2010," it reads.
"The biggest declines in annual new HIV infections in that period have been in eastern and southern Africa (57 percent reduction) and western and central Africa (49 percent reduction).
"In 2022, 660 000 people in these two regions acquired HIV, compared with 1,2 million in 2015 and 1,5 million in 2010."
Commenting on the findings, Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association president Dr Johannes Marisa said Government's expansion of the antiretroviral treatment programme was key to attaining the milestone.
"We have never had cases of shortage of medication in all health facilities. This is something the Government should be applauded for," he said.
This year, Zimbabwe became the first African country to approve use of the long-acting injectable cabotegravir as pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention.
According to the 2023 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update Report released on Thursday last week, Zimbabwe recorded a 78 percent decline in new HIV incidences between 2010 and 2022.
It reads: "Cameroon, Nepal and Zimbabwe have achieved major reductions in new HIV infections due to focused prevention programmes.
"Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe have already achieved the 95–95–95 targets overall, and at least 16 other countries (eight in sub-Saharan Africa) are within reach of those targets.
"Among the latter are low-income countries such as Malawi, which has targeted improvements and introduced tailored interventions in districts where testing and treatment coverage were lagging."
The 95-95-95 UNAIDS goal seeks to achieve the following by 2025: 95 percent of all people living with HIV will know their status; 95 percent of people who know their status will be on treatment; and 95 percent of people on treatment will have a suppressed viral load.
The report also attributes the country's successful response to decriminalisation of the transmission of HIV.
"Zimbabwe and the state of Nayarit in western Mexico have removed laws criminalising HIV exposure, non-disclosure and transmission
"Overall, the AIDS response tends to be most successful when it includes efforts to remove the underlying barriers (discriminatory criminal laws and policies, gender and other inequalities, stigma and discrimination, and human rights violations) that hold back progress and when there are public institutions strong enough to sustain those efforts."
The report provides an overview of the global HIV response and highlights progress that has been made in recent years.
It also identifies challenges that need to be addressed in order to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The document concluded that fewer people acquired HIV in 2022 than at any point since the late 1980s.
"The estimated 1,3 million new HIV infections globally in 2022 were over one-third (38 percent) fewer than in 2010," it reads.
"The biggest declines in annual new HIV infections in that period have been in eastern and southern Africa (57 percent reduction) and western and central Africa (49 percent reduction).
"In 2022, 660 000 people in these two regions acquired HIV, compared with 1,2 million in 2015 and 1,5 million in 2010."
Commenting on the findings, Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association president Dr Johannes Marisa said Government's expansion of the antiretroviral treatment programme was key to attaining the milestone.
"We have never had cases of shortage of medication in all health facilities. This is something the Government should be applauded for," he said.
This year, Zimbabwe became the first African country to approve use of the long-acting injectable cabotegravir as pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention.
Source - The Sunday Mail
