HIV and its effects are being fought successfully in Zimbabwe by reducing the infection rates and so the number of people living with HIV while ensuring that those who are infected can access the treatment they need.
These collective efforts from Government and private sector have seen death rates being sharply reduced with fewer people being added to the pool of infected people each year and those who are now mostly able to achieve normal lifespans.
Speaking during the launch of Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS strategic documents in Harare, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Oliver Chidawu said new HIV infections for Harare have fallen from 5447 in 2016 to 2948 in 2020 while the overall number of people living with HIV has also slightly fallen from 158877 to 142432 over the same period.
He said these high impact results were achieved through implementation of an array of evidence-based measures, a combination of behavioural, biomedical and structural prevention interventions targeted at different groups.
Zimbabwe had achieved its first target of 90-90-90 on HIV prevention and treatment and is now working on the 95-95-95 target for 2025.
The 90-90-90 is a concept introduced by the United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS in 2013 as an idea that by 2020, 90 percent of people who are HIV infected will be diagnosed, 90 percent of people who are diagnosed will be on antiretroviral treatment and 90 percent of those who receive antiretroviral will be virally suppressed.
“Those targets are surely achievable. We should take everybody on board and leave no one behind including various groups of key populations, adolescent girls and young women. Such initiatives targeted at specific sub populations that are at risk and vulnerable to HIV will be key as we transition into the sustainability phase of our response.”
He said the launch of the documents will ensure interventions remain on course and aimed at the overall impact results which are clearly spelt out in the National Strategic plan.
He urged the National Aids Council to play a key role in providing the required leadership in partner relations and management, technical support for development of sector policies and strategies as well as resource mobilisation and support.
National Aids Council communications director, Ms Madeline Dube, said that for Zimbabwe to achieve 95-95-95 target for 2025, people should continue protect themselves and use condoms to avoid new infections.
She noted gender-based violence increases women’s vulnerability to HIV infections.
“We are now working towards the 95-95-95 targets for 2025. HIV is still there so there is a need to continue protecting your selves. Intervention of antiretroviral drugs is helping to reduce deaths. Violence is also fuelling HIV infections to vulnerable women. Continue to use condoms, HIV is still there,” she said.
National data indicates that gender inequality is present within relationships and marriages also drive HIV infections. The Aids mortality rate has dropped significantly and more than one million people out of 1,4 million living with HIV now receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy with improved quality of life and productivity as people live longer on treatment. Most of those yet to enter the treatment phase are unaware of their status.