BY Phyllis Mbanje
Despite making great strides in reducing the HIV prevalence, Zimbabwe still needs to curtail new infections to eradicate the pandemic by 2030.
Addressing stakeholders yesterday at the launch of the Zimbabwe Population Based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) Harare chapter and sensitisation meeting in Ruwa, National Aids Council (Nac)’s monitoring and evaluation director Amon Mpofu said the positive gains achieved by the country in the fight against HIV would be reversed if new infections are not halted.
“We have done well as a country, but let us not relax. We need to curtail new infections,” he said.
According to a Zimphia report for 2015-2016, there are 47 new infections per 100 000.
Mpofu said Nac was in full support of the programme which is a multi-country project funded by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and being implemented by
ICAP.
Zimbabwe is now on the second round of Zimphia which was first launched in 2015-2016 with the purpose of assessing the coverage and impact of HIV services on the population.
Harare is among the top four provinces with the highest new incidence rates along with Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Midlands.
Speaking at the same event, Zimphia director Munyaradzi Mapingure said the survey would provide critical data key in mitigatory strategies. He also applauded Zimbabwe for continuing to record a decline in HIV infection. “We are almost achieving our set targets,” Mapingure said.
