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Dr David Parirenyatwa

Recent statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care indicating that Umzingwane District in Matabeleland South province has the highest HIV and STI rates in the country is very disturbing indeed. Health Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said such high rates are expected in border towns yet Umzingwane which is one of the smallest districts in the country, does not have a border town.

It is therefore puzzling that the district whose greater number of people live in the rural areas, is leading in HIV and STI rates. Dr Parirenyatwa said the ministry had no answer for what is obtaining in Umzingwane hence it wants to conduct a study to find out the reasons for such a negative development.

According to the statistics young people aged between 16 and 25 have a 21 percent HIV prevalence rate yet the national rate is at 15 percent, sex workers’ prevalence rate is at 30 percent while that of prisons and long distance truck drivers is at 28 percent. It is a fact that Umzingwane has been invaded by thousands of gold panners from different corners of the country because of its rich gold deposits.

This has fuelled prostitution in the district and it is therefore not surprising that HIV and STI rates are very high. Measures should therefore be put in place to urgently address the challenge facing the people of Umzingwane. Zimbabwe is among the first countries to mobilise resources nationally through its Aids levy to fight HIV/Aids.

The country which has an estimated 1,4 million people living with HIV, has managed to put more than 800 000 people on Antiretroviral treatment.  Districts like Umzingwane should therefore be prioritised when it comes to putting people on ART. Children and pregnant women who test HIV  positive as well as other adults whose CD4 count is 500 or less are immediately put on ART.

An individual who is HIV positive but his or her partner is HIV negative is also put on ART immediately regardless of his or her CD4 count.  A pilot project to initiate everyone who tests HIV positive on ART has started in Gwanda, Bulilima and Mangwe in Matabeleland South province but we do not understand why the worst affected district in the country, Umzingwane, was left out.

Under the programme dubbed Treat All Initiative, people who test HIV positive are immediately put on ART regardless of their CD4 count. We therefore urge those that have not been tested to take advantage of this pilot project to get tested so that those found positive can be put on ART.

There is increasing evidence that earlier ART initiation reduces HIV transmission, HIV related illnesses and deaths. Art can keep people with HIV healthy for many years and adhering to treatment greatly reduces the chance of transmitting HIV to sex partners.

We want to once again implore the Ministry of Health and Child Care to urgently intervene and stop the looming HIV/Aids scourge disaster in Umzingwane district.