GOVERNMENT was warned that the obtaining spike in illicit drug and substance abuse incidences could trigger a new wave of new HIV infections as drug users were devising new risky means of administering drugs such as injecting drugs which at times involves the sharing of unsterilized needles and sharp objects.
By Michael Gwarisa
While Zimbabwe has made significant strides towards ending the AIDS epidemic, new data indicates that there has been a surge in new HIV infections especially amongst young girls and women while quite a sizable number could be linked to the use of illicit drugs and substances.
Speaking during a virtual meeting on the Implementation of Comprehensive, Evidence Based HIV Prevention Services Among People Who Use Drugs in Zimbabwe, Professor Paul Mavhima, the Labour and Social Welfare Minister said apart from the upsurge in drug use, VUZU Wild sex parties were also 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 unsterilized 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 had made some significant progress in terms of 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 specter of increasing the use of drugs and indeed then facilitating the spread of HIV and AIDS.”
He added that Zimbabwe was experiencing an upsurge in illicit use of drugs and drug trafficking among the youths and even children, especially those children who happen to live on the streets.
“We are concerned now because access to drugs has now become very simple as some of these drugs are being invented right inside our homes, on our streets and general communities. Although a situational analysis to ascertain the magnitude of drug use has not yet been done, it is still a cause for concern considering the resurgence of HIV and AIDS.
“We therefore need to come up with strategies and policies for tackling issues to do with HIV and AIDS among people who use drugs. If we come together we can eliminate and overcome the upsurge of HIV and AIDS as a result of the injection of drugs. The injection of illicit drugs and the increase in HIV and AIDS continue to hold back socio-economic development as it most affects people in the age groups of 16 to 44 which is the productive age groups of any country,” said Pro Mavhima.
According to research by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is estimated that approximately 3 percent of the adult population have had or experienced an alcohol or substance disorder. Zimbabwe’s health institutions were currently overwhelmed by drug use induced hospital admissions. 75 percent to 85 percent of bed occupancy in mental health institutions is due to substance use.
Speaking on behalf of the UNAIDS Country Director, Sophia Mukasa Munico, Jerry Manyika, the UNAIDS in Zimbabwe Community Support Advisor said there is need to implement effective harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs so as to reduce new HIV infections.
“People who inject drugs are one of the groups most affected by HIV and they are 22 times more likely to have HIV than the general population. We have also realised that injection drug use now accounts for an ever growing population of people with HIV. Despite the risk of HIV for people who inject drugs, there are among those that have the list access to HIV treatment, prevention and healthcare and this is worrisome. Drug use is often criminalised and stigmatised and in many settings, harm reduction programs are simply not available or are extremely limited due to restrictive and ineffective policies and laws,” said Manyika.
He added that people who inject drugs share common factors regardless of their factors and that can make them more vulnerable to HIV. The factors include sharing needles, syringes and other injection equipment which further exposes them to HIV infection. He also said criminalisation and marginalisation of people who inject and use drugs was also a major hindrance to HIV programing in those who use drugs.
The Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] and the Dangerous Drugs Act [Chapter 15:02] were outdated and did not sufficiently deal with the importation, exportation, production, sale, distribution, use, abuse and trafficking of drugs.
Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network projects executive director, Wilson Box said the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan was influenced by the obtaining drug situation in the country, which also saw a massive rise to use crystal meth during the time of COVID-19.
“The Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan 2020 to 2025 aims to provide a clear roadmap in addressing the cross-cutting drug use problems and was developed through an inter- ministerial collaboration with ZCLDN taking into account current measures in place to address the drug use challenges and seeking to enhance and improve our response to it.
“The plan highlights a results-based implementation matrix to better illustrate the roadmap as well as to ensure rigorous monitoring and evaluation through Ministries in the Inter-ministerial Committee according to the plan. The Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan consists of 5 Pillars to be discussed in the following slides,” said Box.
Meanwhile, Humphrey Ndondo, Senior Technical Specialist, Key Populations, and Chairperson of the Key Population Forum “Multisectoral HIV response among Key Populations said even though there was no data on how many people were injecting drugs, current there was need to channel more resources towards harm reduction and reducing new HIV infections.
