Zimbabwe News Online: 1 300 die of Aids every week

1 300 die of Aids every week
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chronicle on 01 June, 2010 03:04:00
 
Speaking during a recent workshop on HIV and Aids Prevention and Economic
Empowerment along the Southern Africa Transport Corridors held in Beitbridge,
the UNAIDS partnerships adviser in Zimbabwe, Ms Gloria Bille, said the
country’s prevalence rate stands at 13,7 percent among the sexual active
populations whose age ranges from between 15 and 49 years.
The estimated number of new HIV infections in adults (15-49) peaked in 1992 to
234 999, but declined to 62 883 in 2008. Last year, the new adult infections
increased to 66 156.
“There are about 1 300 people dying of Aids related diseases per week in
Zimbabwe, which is a major threat to public health and economic development,”
she said. However, she could not give last year’s statistics on the weekly
deaths.
She said only 215 000 people were on antiretroviral treatment out of the
estimated 450 000.
“We have about 158 798 children in Zimbabwe who are infected with HIV and
Aids, while about 39 809 children die per year from Aids related ailments and
the country has 989 000 orphans due to Aids,” Ms Bille said.
She said the prevalence rate among women was higher compared to men. The
prevalence among women is 21,1 percent while among men it is 14,5 percent.
According to official statistics, Matabeleland South Province has the highest
number of cases and constitutes 21,6 percent of the total national HIV and Aids
statistics, a development that was largely attributed to the high level of
mobility among cross-border traders, sex workers and truck drivers passing
through Beitbridge Border Post, the busiest inland port of entry in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Harare has the lowest number of cases. The Harare metropolitan province’s
prevalence rate stands at 12,2 percent. Ms Bille said transport was the major
vector for HIV spreading.
“In many developing countries, the first populations found to be affected by
the virus were those living and working along major truck routes.
“In fact, research following trends in the HIV epidemic noticed that the virus
travelled from high-to-low prevalence areas along the same routes the trucks
travelled,” she said.
According to UNAids, HIV transmission was discovered along the truck routes from
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. Ms Bille said HIV and
Aids had a negative impact on the transport sector as it resulted in a reduction
in labour supply.
She said the transmission of the disease could be reduced through quickening the
clearance of goods at the border post, intensifying information dissemination to
travellers as well as providing decent and affordable accommodation to truckers
and cross-border traders.