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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Alcohol and drug abuse pose a risk to the fight against HIV and Aids infection, the Director of Aids and TB Programme in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Owen Mugurungi, told a parliamentary committee this week.
Dr Mugurungi was appearing before the thematic committee on HIV and Aids together with officials from the ministry.
He said people who abuse alcohol and other illicit substances were at a higher risk of getting infected through impaired judgment in their sexual behaviour.
The country has of late experienced an upsurge in drugs and alcohol abuse, especially among youths raising fears of an increase in risky behaviour leading to infections or defaulting in taking medication.
“Alcohol users are also at higher risk of progression of HIV to Aids because it weakens the immune system,” he said.
He added that there was need to expedite promulgation of deterrent measures.
Dr Mugurungi also told the committee that Zimbabwe had made huge strides in the fight against HIV and Aids and was on course to achieve the 95-95-95 strategy.
The strategy entails that 95 percent of people know their HIV status and that 95 percent of those who are positive are on anti-retroviral therapy with 95 percent of those being virally suppressed.
“Significant progress has been made in the response to HIV and this can be attributed to effective leadership, evidence-based programmes and good partnerships,” he added.
The Covid-19 pandemic had disrupted HIV and Aids programmes that resulted in an increase of the rate of transmission from 7,6 percent to 8,7 percent between 2019 and 2020.
Dr Mugurungi said the ministry had also adopted various measures in the fight against HIV that include a new drug, Dolutegravir, that is more effective in suppressing the viral load.
He said the uptake of self-testing mechanism was also encouraging.
Online Reporter