the Herald, 31 January 2014

HIGH levels of migration by Zimbabweans from the Matabeleland provinces to neighbouring South Africa and Botswana have resulted in greater HIV prevalence rates there, the National Aids Council has said. Appearing before the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on HIV/Aids on Monday, National Aids Council officials said while prevalence was decreasing in other provinces, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo and Matabeleland North's prevalence stood at 21 percent, 19 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

MDC-T senator for Midlands Mrs Lilian Timveous chairs the committee.

"The high prevalence in border towns is mostly attributed to a lot of mobility and transactional sex that takes place within those border towns," said NAC chief executive Dr Tapuwa Magure.

"So you look at Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, almost all the border towns, HIV prevalence is high because of a lot of informal activity taking place all the time. I can also touch on why Matabeleland North and South have a higher prevalence rate. I would also attribute that to spousal separation.

"We all know if you go to Tsholotsho, almost all the men are in Botswana and South Africa. But those women who are left are still human beings."

NAC monitoring and evaluation director Mr Amon Mpofu said there was need for prevention programmes in the southern region.

Mashonaland East has 16 percent prevalence rate, Mashonaland West and Midlands have 15 percent apiece, Manicaland has 14 percent, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo have 14 percent each, and Harare has 13 percent.

Harare has the highest number of people who are infected in terms of actual population, followed by Manicaland, Midlands, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Masvingo, Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South and North. Bulawayo has the least number of infected people.

Dr Magure said there were about 1,4 million people living with HIV in Zimbabwe of whom 963 000 were in need of anti-retro-viral therapy in line with the World Health Organisation's new guidelines of initiating treatment when the CD4 count drops to 500.

He said there were about 76 000 new infections annually while about 46 000 people are estimated to die from HIV every year. There are almost one million Aids orphans in the country.

On Aids levy collections, Dr Magure said they got about US$33,5 million last year from about US$32,5 million the previous year.

He said about 70 percent of the collections went to HIV and Aids intervention programmes, while programmes logistics and support chewed 21 percent.

Programme management and co-ordination accounted for seven percent while capital expenditure got two percent.

Dr Magure said it was improper for religious leaders to discourage congregants on ART to stop treatment on spiritual grounds.

He also said it was illegal to sell ARVs on the streets.

By Lloyd Gumbo

Source: the Herald