Drug abuse reversing gains in fight against HIV/Aids

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter
CONTINUED abuse of drugs, especially by young people in Zimbabwe, may reverse the gains the country has made in tackling HIV and Aids whose prevalence is high among adolescents.

Statistics show that young women are key drivers of new HIV infections in the country and account for a majority of the cases that Zimbabwe records annually.

The HIV prevalence rate stands at 11,8 percent and despite efforts to reduce cases and Aids related deaths, young people continue engaging in risky behaviours that promote unsafe sex.

Speaking during a virtual meeting on the Implementation of Comprehensive, Evidence Based HIV Prevention Services Among People Who Use Drugs in Zimbabwe, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said drug use and Vuzu parties were fertile ground for the uptake of illicit drugs and risky sexual behaviour that could derail the progress that had been attained in the HIV response.

“It has been brought to our attention that most of these drug users are using unsterilised injections in administering drugs. Considering that the risk of acquiring HIV through sharing such items is very high, this behaviour of injecting drugs has now become a cause of concern as it exacerbates the spread of HIV and Aids in the country at a time the country is battling to reduce new infections,” said Prof Mavhima.

“Zimbabwe has made some significant progress in combating HIV but when abuse becomes more prevalent, we risk losing the benefits of the previous successes that we had achieved in combating HIV. There is also a surge in the so-called wild-sex parties or Vuzu parties. It is mainly done by very young people in the urban areas in Bulawayo and Harare and this also has a spectre of increasing the use of drugs and indeed then facilitating the spread of HIV and Aids”

A 2020 World Health Organisation (WHO) report showed that deaths from drug abuse in Zimbabwe reached 213 or 0,20 percent of the total deaths that year. Stories of youths abusing drugs, developing mental health challenges and committing heinous crimes like murder and domestic violence are now pervasive.

Drug and substance abuse has become a national challenge especially in high density areas, with a number of youths having died or becoming insane due to abuse of drugs. President Mnangagwa has urged youths to abandon drugs, and directed the police to hunt down those that supply drugs while the First Lady on the other hand has launched nationwide campaigns to address the scourge.

A research done by the Health Professionals Empowerment Trust in Zimbabwe indicated that 50 percent of admissions to mental institutions have been attributed to substance-induced disorders. -@thamamoe