adminNqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
BINGA District recorded a 100 percent increase in HIV prevalence in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period last year.
The National Aids Council (NAC) has raised a red flag over the sudden increase.
NAC’s Matabeleland North Monitoring and Evaluating Officer Sibongile Shumba yesterday said their concerns come from a background that the district used to have the lowest HIV prevalence in the country.
Presenting NAC’s quarterly statistics in a meeting attended by other institutions dealing with HIV issues in Matabeleland North, Shumba said increased interaction with outsiders could have caused the increase.
“Binga used to have the lowest prevalence rate of 3,5 percent but now it has increased to seven percent. It’s now competing with other districts on the negative side,” said Shumba.
“From what we’ve observed, HIV hot spots are in areas where fishing is done. Those fishing hot spots are the ones that make us suspect that maybe people coming to buy fish could be contributing to this.”
Shumba called for concerted efforts to address the provincial concern.
“As partners, we need to strategise and re-programme to make sure we deal with this problem,” she said.
Population Service International site manager Tendai Chitsanzara said awareness campaigns should be conducted to eradicate the problem.
Other participants called for research to be conducted to find the reasons for the increase.
Participants discussed strategies of dealing with hot spots of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the province.
They spoke of the need to engage pastors in encouraging congregants to use condoms, saying it was pointless to continue preaching abstinence when people in church are also sexually active.
Online Reporter