adminAs a way of trying to reduce the effects of the spread of the disease, the Government with the support of various stakeholders, has come up with ways of reducing the prevalence rate.
This has come in the form of awareness campaigns about the dangers and effects of the disease on the economic and social front. Some of the preventive measures against the disease are the use of condoms, abstinence and being faithful to a partner.
The other preventive measure, which at the moment is topical, is male circumcision.
However, the use of condoms has been touted as one of the easiest and cheaper methods. It has had its own share of controversy because it has been viewed as a way of promoting promiscuity and allowing children to indulge in sex at an early stage.
In our yesterday’s issue we carried a story that Zimbabwe has recorded the highest condom usage in the world over the last five years, according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Survey of 2011.
The development is said to have contributed to the reduction of the HIV and Aids prevalence rate in the country.
This came out during an HIV and Aids capacity building training workshop for journalists in Kwekwe on Thursday.
“The usage of condoms is very high in Zimbabwe compared to other countries in the world. This is because in terms of distribution of condoms the country has adopted an intense distribution system through the National Family Planning Council with different community care groups,” said Mr Amon Mpofu of the National Aids Council at the workshop.
However, the question that remains is does being “world champions”, in condom use translate to the situation on the ground in the form of few people being infected or unwanted pregnancies among the teenagers.
Does the impressive uptake of condoms mean that people are properly using them? Our fear is that we might celebrate that our people are being careful with their lives by using condoms while they do not even know how to wear them.
Under such circumstances it would be a futile exercise, as we would be having people being infected despite the belief that they would be safe.
In the same story it was also mentioned that the Matabele-land region has the highest prevalence of HIV and Aids compared to other regions.
Many have attributed the development to activities at the border posts, Beitbridge and Plumtree, and also gold panning in most districts in the provinces.
It is against this background that we call upon those in charge of the HIV and Aids programmes to intensify their activities at gold panning sites to reverse the frightening development.
While those who are in the forefront of fighting the HIV and Aids pandemic might think gold panning sites are illegal sites full of all vice, but sex is not illegal there.
Online Reporter