Chronicle Editor
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Bureau
THE country has recorded 40 500 cases of new HIV infections in 2016 with the country’s southern region contributing 59 percent of the incidences.
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in the HIV and Aids Estimates Report for 2016, there were approximately 36 700 new HIV infections that occurred among adults and 3 900 among children in 2016.
Speaking during the launch of the HIV and Aids Estimates Report for 2016 in Bulawayo on Thursday, Health and Child Care Director, Aids and TB Programme, Dr Owen Mugurungi, said Midlands, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South contributed 59 percent of the incidences among adults.
Dr Mugurungi said the number of new infections had significantly dropped compared to previous years. He said Midlands had recorded the highest number of new infections during the period under review.
“There was a sharp decline in the total number of new infections from 44 400 in 2015 to 40 500 in 2016. Of these, 3 800 were new infections among the zero to 14 age group. This decline was also confirmed by the Zimphia which placed the national incidence at 0.48 percent in 2016. Midlands, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South contributed 59 percent of the total new adult infections,” he said.
Dr Mugurungi said Midlands and Harare recorded the highest number of new infections while Bulawayo recorded the least.
“Midlands recorded 5 389 number of adult new infections, Harare recorded 4 513, Mashonaland East 4 301, Matabeleland North 4 160, Matabeleland South 4 129, Masvingo 3 827, Manicaland 3 533, Mashonaland Central 2 690, Mashonaland West 2 563 and Bulawayo had 1 558. Among children, the highest number of new infections occurred in Midlands followed by Matabeleland North and Bulawayo again has the least number of cases,” he said.
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