Online Reporter
Nomalisa Gumpo, [email protected]
PEOPLE living on the streets are recording a high default rate on antiretroviral treatment (ART), largely due to inconsistent access to medication and challenges in adhering to the treatment regimen, the National Aids Council (NAC) has revealed.
The findings came to light during an NAC-led media tour in Bulawayo, which began on Monday and ends on Thursday. The tour seeks to provide an update on HIV and Aids programming, with a focus on vulnerable and marginalised populations, particularly people living on the streets.
NAC Bulawayo provincial manager, Ms Sinatra Nyathi, said homeless people face significant barriers to accessing and adhering to life-saving HIV treatment due to their unstable living conditions.
“They are working and living in the streets. It is a challenge for them to access health services. If they test positive for HIV, it becomes difficult for them to get treatment,” said Ms Nyathi.
“We have realised that the default rate is high when it comes to those on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs). Most of them are unable to take their medication correctly and consistently.
The NAC, in partnership with Scripture Union (SU), has been conducting outreach at various hotspots in the city where street dwellers are found, offering them food, HIV screening and awareness on the importance of adhering to ART.
The outreach has covered areas such as Eveline High School sports grounds, Belmont industrial area and Victory Fellowship Church in the city centre.
“We are here with various media houses so they can see the reality faced by marginalised members of our society who need support,” said Ms Nyathi.
“Our aim is to end Aids by 2030, and we are guided by the principle of leaving no one and no place behind. The media has a critical role to play in amplifying these voices and supporting our efforts.”
SU is focusing on the social and spiritual needs of street-dwellers while NAC is tackling issues around sexual and reproductive health. Both organisations are concerned about the high vulnerability of people living in the streets, particularly women and children, to sexual abuse and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
SU’s provincial co-ordinator for Bulawayo, Ms Sikholiwe Ncube, noted that due to their living conditions, people living in the streets are susceptible to the worst forms of sexual abuse.
“Through the media, we want to raise awareness on the urgent need to reduce the number of children living on the streets and the associated risk of contracting STIs,” she said.
The joint campaign forms part of NAC’s strategy to achieve epidemic control and ensure equitable access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services across all segments of society.
