Mash West records decline in HIV infections

AT least 3 712 new HIV infections were recorded in Mashonaland West Province in 2017, a decrease of 1 057 from 4 769 cases recorded in 2016.

In an interview recently, the National AIDS Council Mashonaland West provincial manager Mr Agrippa Zizhou said this represented a 41 percent decline in the number of new HIV infections among adults.

A further 33 percent decline was also recorded in children between the age of 0-14 years. “A total of 3 712 new HIV infections were recorded in 2017 out of which 14 percent were children 0-14 years old,” he said.

“We are working very hard to ensure that the HIV incidence rate continues to decline to zero percent.”

According to the statistics, the three districts which topped the adult HIV incidence rate in the province were Hurungwe with 813 new cases were recorded followed by Zvimba which had 775 and Chegutu had 473 cases.

The same districts also topped in the child HIV incidence rate.

“Hurungwe had the highest number of children newly infected by HIV of 137 while Zvimba and Chegutu had 131 and 80 new cases, respectively,” Mr Zizhou said.

Kariba district had the least number of both new adult and child HIV infections in 2017, with 108 and 18 respectively.

Mr Zizhou attributed the decline to the impact of prevention and treatment programmes which included condom use, anti-retroviral therapy and prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission programmes among the HIV population. In line with global reports, the HIV incidence rate has declined by over 50 percent over the past 10 years.

According to UNICEF, Zimbabwe has an adult HIV prevalence rate of 13,7 percent, making it one of the five countries hardest hit by HIV and AIDS globally.