Jumbo, Rosa mines top in new HIV infections
MINING operations often attract migrant workers, who are isolated from family and traditional social structures, leading to increased engagement in risky behaviours such as unprotected sex, transactional sex and multiple sexual partners.
And on a good day when a miner gets a big catch, they tend to spend lavishly with their female colleagues, and when the alcohol gets into the brain, decision making becomes seriously questionable especially regarding sex, resulting in some of the miners contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Given that the mining communities are not too big, there is a tendency of swapping sexual partners, exposing the parties to HIV and other STIs.
Statistics show that in Mashonaland Central Province, the hardest hit mining communities are Jumbo and Rosa mines in Mazowe.
They are topping in new HIV infections in the province, mainly due to the presence of mining and farming activities.
The two mining sites are characterised by a population of young sex workers, a fairly high number of school dropouts among girls and a large proportion of artisanal miners.
Ms Janet Bhila from Zimbabwe Young Positives (ZY+), a national support Network for young people living with HIV, said the HIV and AIDS estimate overview of 2023 indicates that Mazowe is one of the districts with a high incidence in Mashonaland Central.
According to the 2022 HIV estimates overview produced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, about 11,17 percent of the population in Mazowe are living with HIV.
Ms Bhila said young people in the mining sites were unaware of their HIV status and have a limited understanding of the severity of undiagnosed HIV infection.
The uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP), an antiretroviral HIV prevention method that involves taking a daily pill for people who are HIV-negative and at risk of infection, remains low amid a lack of knowledge, negative perceptions and attitudes.
The Ministry of Health is prioritising HIV-negative people who are at high risk of contracting HIV infection to access PrEP and other interventions that help prevent HIV, such as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), condoms and STI treatment.
Speaking at a consumer advocacy forum, Mr Ruben Bvumbe from the community-led monitoring programme highlighted that some communities were unaware of the availability of PrEP in health facilities.
The meeting noted with concern the high number of people who discontinue using PrEP after being initiated, this needs to be further evaluated.
It was further noted that the high dropout rates among individuals who would have been initiated on PrEP, was concerning and needed addressing.
PrEP is not a lifelong option. It is a programme specified per risk and one could start and stop anytime they feel they are not at risk, unlike ARVs that are taken for life.
“We are working in Mazowe and Mt Darwin researching barriers affecting people from accessing services.” Said Mr Bvumbe.
“We are advocating for increased awareness of PrEP to boost its uptake and help curb new HIV infections, particularly in areas with the highest incidence rates,” he said.
Ms Moreni Masanzu, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+), said acceptance of PrEP was poor due to negative attitudes of clients.
“People lack sufficient information about PrEP, often relying on hearsay rather than official health sources.
“Individuals must have accurate information about the availability and accessibility of PrEP,” she said.
National AIDS Council provincial manager, Mr Edgar Muzulu, said the spread of incorrect information can increase people’s fear of taking PrEP.
“It is essential for people to understand that PrEP is indeed an antiretroviral drug used specifically for HIV prevention, not treatment.
“Just as antiretroviral therapy (ART) is used to suppress the virus in individuals living with HIV, PrEP works by preventing HIV acquisition in HIV-negative individuals. While both PrEP and ART involve antiretroviral drugs, they serve distinct purposes: PrEP is for prevention and ART for treatment,” he said.
PrEP is available at all local clinics across the country and is offered to anyone who tests HIV negative and is at risk of acquiring HIV.
PrEP is offered in combination with other prevention options including the consistent and correct use of condoms, as it does not protect against STIs.
Other issues discussed at the forum included HIV self-testing (HIVST), Tuberculosis and viral load monitoring.
Mr Pardon Gonorashe from ZNNP+ called for the upscaling HIVST to increase access to testing, early detection of HIV, empowerment of individuals and reaching key populations.