Alarm over rise in new HIV cases

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has expressed concern over the rise in new HIV infections especially among adults, which is threatening national efforts to end AIDS by 2030.

According to UNAIDS 2016 statistics, Zimbabwe had 40 000 new HIV infections while ministry statistics show that in 2017 there was a total of 40 500 new HIV infections detected.

Prevention of mother to child transmission and TB programme officer in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mrs Rowesai Gandanga revealed the statistics last week during a high-level stakeholder HIV-Sensitive Case Management System workshop in Mutare.

“Among the total of 1 323 629 of people living with HIV and AIDS in 2017 across Zimbabwe, 74 460 of them are children aged 0-14 while the other 3 800 children have been newly infected from last year. However, a total of 40 500 people have been newly infected with HIV,” she said.

Director of social welfare Mr Thuso Maphala said the forum was the first of its kind.

“We are pioneering an evidence-based approach to policy making tools in the form of the National Case Management System for children,” he said.

Chief social welfare officer Mr John Nyathi told the workshop that the forum was a community-based approach for responding to child protection concerns in Zimbabwe.