Artisanal miners fingered in Gwanda's rising HIV stats

Gwanda district has emerged as the area with the highest number of HIV cases in Matabeleland South, with the infection's spread largely attributed to the activities of artisanal miners, according to the National Aids Council (NAC).

This was disclosed by NAC representative Abraham Ncube during a Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union regional meeting held in Gwanda. The gathering aimed to establish a strategic plan for building union power, job security, and worker transformation following resolutions made at the union's national congress in Bulawayo in August.

"In Gwanda, approximately 20,800 people are living with HIV," Ncube said, noting that this makes the district the highest in terms of HIV prevalence in the province. "Our estimated prevalence rate is around 17.3% for ages 15 to 49, with higher rates among females at 20.9% compared to males at 18.6%."

The spread of HIV in Gwanda and across Matabeleland South is reportedly fueled by intergenerational relationships and "age mixing," with artisanal miners engaging young women in unprotected sexual activities, Ncube revealed. The artisanal miners' financial liquidity often enables them to set terms for unprotected sex, making adolescent girls and young women especially vulnerable.

"Our interventions focus on adolescent girls, young women, and artisanal miners," Ncube said, explaining that NAC aims to improve men's health-seeking behavior through workplace health programs and initiatives like male engagement.

The NAC representative emphasized that men in the mining sector often avoid seeking medical care until they reach critical stages of illness. By introducing workplace health programs, NAC hopes to encourage regular testing and treatment among men to curb further transmission.

Addressing the meeting, Marjorie Sikhundla Moyo, provincial coordinator for the Ministry of Women Affairs in Matabeleland South, urged the mining sector to respect women's rights and protect them from exploitation. She encouraged women to take up leadership roles and voiced support for increased respect and support for women's health needs, particularly regarding hygiene resources at the workplace.

In a notable call for gender-sensitive workplace practices, Moyo advised human resources managers to increase allocations of essential hygiene products for women, highlighting the difference in usage patterns compared to male employees.

The union meeting, which NAC attended alongside representatives from various government ministries and agencies, underscored the importance of protecting mine workers' health and well-being, alongside advocating for fair wages, proper shelter, and safe working conditions in the mining sector.