Fight against HIV/AIDS continues

By Ann Zulu

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA) and Network of the Zambian People living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+) have pledged to strengthen HIV health services delivery to adolescent girls, young women and women in Zambia.

The three organisations made the pledge when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Lusaka yesterday.

AHF National Medical Director Brig Gen Lawson Simapuka observed that adolescent girls, young women and women were more vulnerable to HIV.

Brig Gen. Simapuka noted that although Zambia’s HIV incidence rate had gone down, women had continued to be at risk of acquiring HIV, stressing that statistics indicate that the incidence rate was high among women and girls.

“Since the start of the global HIV epidemic, in many regions, women have remained at a much higher risk of HIV infection than men. Young women and adolescent girls in particular, account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections among young people living with HIV.

“This trend has continued while in other population groups the epidemic has been halted and infection rates have significantly reduced. Young women and adolescent girls acquire HIV five to seven years earlier than young men, and in some countries HIV prevalence among young women and adolescent girls is as much as seven times than that of their male counterparts,” Brig. Simapuka.

He feared that without early interventions to address the trend, a new window for another HIV epidemic might open.

Brig. Simapuka pledged that AHF Zambia would offer financial and other forms of support for the various progressive interventions by the three organisations.

“The MoU is expected to facilitate for the enhancement and better reach of HIV testing and prevention services across Zambia and AHF will offer financial and other forms of support,” he said.

Speaking earliar, COZWHA Representative Stella Chinkuli noted that the MoU had come at a time when the world was searching for ways of reducing HIV infections among women, the youth and adolescents in Zambia, through information dissemination, HIV testing, sensitisation, condom distribution, drama among others.

Ms. Chinkuli indicated that her organisation chose to work with women is because they have a stronger voice and are the backbone of health in communities.

“In this MOU, COZWHA will targets to reach adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19, young women between 19 and 24 and other women that are both living with HIV and those that test negative by sensitizing them on HIV testing, treatment and prevention.

And NZP+ director Kunyima Banda said her organisation would be strategic in facilitating linkages into care for the people living with HIV in different parts of the country where it operates from.

Govt urged to step up HIV, TB, malaria fight

By Ann Zulu

GOVERNMENT has been implored to scale up its efforts and invest in eradicating HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in the country.

Community Initiative for Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria Plus (CITAMplus)-Zambia policy and advocacy officer Nathan Nhlane observed that HIV, TB and malaria had continued to claim more lives in Zambia.

Mr. Nhlane noted that Zambia was not an exception to the predicament, urging Government to ensure that such health issues were urgently addressed.

“AIDS, TB and malaria have taken, and continue to take, an incredible toll. AIDS alone has stolen the lives of 35 million people, and continues to take 1.1 million people each year. TB takes 1.3 million lives each year, down from about 2 million per year and is the biggest infectious killer on the planet.

“As CITAMplus we feel that such urgent health issues need to be addressed, and we wish to implore the new Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya to work towards addressing such issues,” Mr. Nhlane said.

He also pointed out that there was need for the Zambian Government to join other governments around the world in funding the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria.

Mr. Nhlane said this was an opportunity for Zambia to work with leaders from across the globe to end an incredible amount of death and suffering by fully funding the Global Fund’s $13 billion budget.

He said the funding was needed to save lives and prevent new infections in future.

“The Global Fund must be fully funded and we need to be focused on rallying our Government and the rest of the world to come up with US$13 billion for the Global Fund, which has saved 17 million lives since 2002.

‘‘The Global Fund needs that money to save an additional 8 million lives as well as prevent 300 million new infections in the next three years.

“We call on the new Minister of Health to step up, join arms, and get the job done in pledging towards the Global Fund generously. Several countries have announced generous contributions.

‘‘In the last few days, there have been pledges coming from African countries such as Kenya (USD 5 million), Benin (USD 2 million) and Zimbabwe (USD1 million),” he said.