National Aids Council to increase surveillance on non-communicable diseases in 2025

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
THE National Aids Council (NAC) is set to upscale male involvement in programming and increase surveillance on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in 2025.
National Aids Council (NAC), Matabeleland South provincial manager, Mr Mgcini Sibanda said the organisation is also taking steps to integrate and mainstream drug and substance abuse in all its activities.
He said plans are also underway to strengthen pandemic preparedness as they have an impact on people with HIV.
Mr Sibanda said the organisation will rope in various stakeholders as it rolls out its 2025 work plan.
“Focus has always been on women and children. Women are considered to be particularly vulnerable to HIV infection because of biological factors such as their reduced sexual autonomy, men’s sexual power and GBV. Nac with support from UNAIDS and other partners developed the male engagement strategy for HIV, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and gender-based violence.
“The strategy seeks to strengthen efforts towards increased engagement and participation of men and boys in the national HIV/Aids SRHR and GBV response. We need the involvement and participation of males in the HIV prevention drive. We need to see more men coming up to access HIV-related services,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said they have integrated several non-communicable diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes into their work.
He said while they have enrolled nearly all HIV-positive people on treatment there is a risk of non-communicable diseases which are on the rise, with some being associated with HIV.
Mr Sibanda said people living with HIV are becoming susceptible to NCDs, which eventually kill them. The organisation has distributed gadgets for testing non-communicable diseases to its community volunteers.
“NAC has scaled up surveillance on non-communicable diseases. We are integrating non-communicable disease prevention and management to improve health outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases. As global life expectancy increases, the prevalence of NDCs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers is also on the rise. The burden of NCDs is particularly high among vulnerable populations such as individuals living with HIV.
“We are also worried by the increase in drug use in Zimbabwe, especially by young people including adolescent girls and young women, which is raising their risk and vulnerability to HIV infection. There is a strong association between HIV acquisition and drug use within the population groups that abuse drugs,” he said
Mr Sibanda said NAC is also set to strengthen its pandemic preparedness capacity. He said the organisation will improve its pandemic prevention, detection and response preparedness. Mr Sibanda said they will develop a pandemic response plan, and conduct risk assessments and vulnerability analysis.
He said there is also a need for strategies to improve the uptake of female condoms. The male condom still dominates as 97 percent of the condoms that were distributed in the province during the fourth quarter were male condoms and only three percent were female condoms.
Mr Sibanda said in addition to these activities the organisation will also upscale its ongoing activities.
@DubeMatutu
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