By Kuda Pembere recently in Chinhoyi
THE HIV incidence rates in Zimbabwe continue to decline as the country recorded 0.14 percent last year in 2022 to 0.14 percent the following year owing to a cocktail of measures including the use of pre exposure prophylaxis as a preventive intervention.
Speaking to HealthTimes on the sidelines of a National AIDS Council (NAC) journalists workshop in Chinhoyi on Friday, NAC Monitoring and Evaluation Director Mr Amon Mpofu said the country has been witnessing a steady marginal decline of HIV incidence.
He credited the decline to massive ARV roll out amongst other measures.
We are realizing that in Zimbabwe we are recording a decline in both prevalence and incidence. This is because of a number of factors. The first one is that Zimbabwe has scaled up the antiretroviral, making sure everyone who is HIV positive, they are accessing ARVs Because if somebody is put on ARVs and their viral load is suppressed, then they cannot transmit HIV, which we call treatment as prevention,” Mr Mpofu said.
“We also have realized that of late we have improved the technologies or means of preventing. We know we have our traditional use of condom correct and consistently. We have faithfulness, VMMC, which we call circumcision.
”With Zimbabwe having over 408 388 clients initiated on PrEP since its introduction in 2016, Mr Mpofu credited the use of the preventive biomedical products to the decline of HIV incidence. Amongst the programs in country include initiating people at risk of contracting HIV on PrEP.
“But we also realize that we now have what you call PrEP. PrEP is also helping us to lower new cases. But also we have to take note that Zimbabwe is very strong on prevention programs where we are educating communities across the country on HIV, on preventing HIV and AIDS. These programs are the programs that are helping us to lower the incidence of HIV.
“We have also targeted what you call key populations, which are sex workers, men having sex with men and transgender, who is seen to be having higher incidence of HIV. And we are targeting these with special programs,” he said. Meanwhile, the latest prevalence rate for HIV in Zimbabwe stands at 10.5 percent down from 11.06 in 2022.
