BULAWAYO’S efforts to end new HIV infections in the city should be sustained as the city is not yet out of the woods despite surpassing the 95-95-95 targets, stakeholders have said.
According to the 2024 Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director’s report approximately 78 000 people in the city are living with HIV.
The National Aids Council (NAC) has also revealed that there were more than 15 000 new HIV infections in 2023 while over 17 000 Aids-related deaths were recorded in the previous year.
Zimbabwe has recorded tremendous progress towards achieving the 95-95-95 targets a set of goals established by the United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAid) to help end the HIV/Aids epidemic by 2030.
The statistics were revealed at the National Aid Council, Bulawayo provincial World Aids Day commemorations held at the Amphitheatre on Friday last week.
The commemorations were held under the theme: Take the Rights Path — my health, my rights, our responsibility.
Officials from the Health and Child Care ministry, NAC, the Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director’s office, and Bulawayo City Council Health Services Department took stock of the progress recorded in responding to HIV and Aids.
Southern Region ZRP Health Programmes chairperson Shingirirai Zengeni said there were 642 new infections recorded last year, with women accounting for 376 of them while 120 female adolescents (15 to 24-year-olds) accounted for 159 new infections.
- Revisiting Majaivana’s last show… ‘We made huge losses’
- Edutainment mix: The nexus of music and cultural identity
- ChiTown acting mayor blocks election
- Promoter Mdu 3D defends foreigners 30 minute set
Keep Reading
“These are pleasing results, but we are not yet on an irreversible path towards ending Aids by 2030. These results have indicated that the pace of reducing new HIV infections is slower and that we may miss the target of ending Aids if we continue doing the same things, the same way we have been doing them,” Zengeni said.
While HIV prevention interventions have been robust and led to the identification of 97% of all HIV-positive people, Zengeni said the city had to be more strategic in identifying the remaining 3% to ensure optimal use of resources.
“We have continued to record lower new HIV infections from year to year, while the number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy has continued to rise as we pursue the 95-95-95 by 2025 targets.
“Pursuing these targets has been a major part of restoring the rights and dignity of our people, whose lives have been transformed by the national response,” he said.
However, the PMD’s office revealed that Bulawayo had surpassed the 95-95-95 targets and is currently at 98%.
A representative from the PMD’s officer Maphios Siamuchembu said Bulawayo province was proud of the strides made in combating HIV and Aids.
“The province will, therefore, continue to focus on prevention, treatment and support for those living with HIV,” he said.
NAC Bulawayo provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi said there was a need for the province to continue scaling up prevention and treatment services.
“We must continue to provide leadership, harmonise and align the response with local and global standards and expectations to achieve and maintain epidemic control.
“We continue to scale up prevention and treatment services, so that everyone has access to them, in particular adolescent boys and girls, young women, sex workers and other vulnerable groups,” he said.
