Chronicle Editor
Amanda Mlevu , Sunday News Reporter
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) has recorded a 57 percent decline in HIV infections more than any other region on the globe and has attributed the development to various interventions taken by its member States.
In a statement on the occasion to commemorate the World AIDS Day, which is running under the theme, ‘Let Community Lead’ the SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Mpedi Magosi said the region has made significant progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.
“More than 80 percent of SADC citizens who are living with HIV have access to life saving treatment, while AIDS-related deaths have reduced by more than 60%,” said Mr Magosi.
He said four SADC Member States Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Tanzania have reached the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets well ahead of time.
“In these member states, 95 percent of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 percent of people who know their status are on treatment, and 95 percent of people on HIV treatment have a suppressed viral load and several other member States are close to achieving this key milestone,” said Mr Magosi.
He encouraged all SADC Member States to continue fostering community involvement and supporting the development and implementation of local solutions to local problems to ensure community ownership and leadership in addressing challenges posed by HIV and AIDS and its impact in all aspects of their respective people’s lives.
In a speech to mark World Aids Day commemorations today, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had recorded tremendous gains in fighting the pandemic, albeit under adversity.
He said Zimbabwe was committed to working towards ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.
“To the progress we have recorded in HIV prevention, our country has increased the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) coverage to 99percent of the 1,3 million HIV positive people,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu