MASHONALAND Central province is making significant progress in HIV and Aids management, thanks to a cocktail of intervention programmes the province has implemented over the years.
National Aids Council provincial manager for Mashonaland Central Edgar Muzulu said part of the success story included a decrease in new HIV infections and deaths,
The HIV prevalence for Mashonaland Central is 10,3%.
“Bindura tops in HIV prevalence, followed by Shamva and Mazowe. During the past two years Mazowe has been at the top, but due to interventions we have seen a slight decrease in new infections,” Muzulu said.
“In terms of HIV prevalence, we are in the middle at number 5 in the country. In terms of new infections we are experiencing a big shift. We used to have a high rate in terms of infections but of late we have seen a decrease.”
Muzulu said Mashonaland Central had maintained a 10,3% HIV prevalence, which showed stability in controlling the pandemic.
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“We have maintained the prevalence for the past three years. It indicates no new infections and no new deaths. The antiretroviral treatment programme is working so we are celebrating as a province.
“Condom uptake has also increased and condom consumption reaches out to two million per year. We have also seen an increase in the uptake of the female condom.”
Muzulu attributed the increase to robust condom campaigns that the province has been doing over the years.
He, however, said issues of gender-based violence, child marriages, multiple concurrent partners and low risk perception were the major barriers to HIV control.
“As a province our gender-based violence prevalence is among the highest in the country and the scourge is most pronounced in Mazowe, Rushinga, Mbire and Shamva. We also have harmful traditional and religious practices that perpetuate gender-based violence,” he said.
“In response we have interventions that are primarily preventive. We have the primary combination prevention approach, which include prevention of mother to child transmissions, behaviour change communication as well as condom campaigns.”
He said other community-based models, which were aimed at reducing the rate of HIV among adolescent girls and young girls, included Start, Awareness, Support and Action, an evidence-based community mobilisation approach to prevent violence against women as well as Sista2Sista and DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, Aids-free, Mentored and Safe).
“Every approach in the HIV response should be people centred. Let communities lead,” Muzulu said.
“Now the epidemic is no longer generalised. It is in some pockets so we are using a targeted approach to combating HIV and Aids.”
Chief Bushu, born Gracious Mukanwa, said as traditional leaders, they had embraced HIV intervention programmes, especially in Shamva, where they had come up with by-laws.
“The by-laws are there to complement government efforts in eradicating child marriages and gender-based violence, which are also drivers of HIV,” he said.
“We have since spread this idea to other districts across Mashonaland Central province. This has seen the launch of a national programme, Not-in-My-Village, which seeks to tackle teenage pregnancies.”