The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana, Sunday News Correspondent
HWANGE District has been singled out as the hot spot for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Matabeleland North Province despite its low HIV prevalence rate, National Aids Council (Nac) has revealed.
Presenting the province’s HIV and Aids profile during the Provincial World Aids Day commemorations that ran concurrently with the YES Games in Hwange, the District Aids Action Coordinator, Mr Nehemiah Ndlovu said the district was saddled with a heavy STI burden.
“As we welcome you to this beautiful province and in particular Hwange District let us take cognisance that HIV and Aids remains one of our major challenges especially for young people. According to the 2015-16 ZIMPHIA the provincial HIV prevalence currently stands at 20.1 percent while the incidence stands at 0.74 percent. Hwange District, our host for this year’s YES games has an HIV prevalence rate of 13 percent and an incidence of 0.44 percent. Despite its low HIV prevalence rate the district is saddled with a heavy burden of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the province,” said Ndlovu.
He said the high rate was attributed to a complex network of hotspots which were fuelled by mining and tourism activities coupled with the prevalence of several truck stops along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo highway. The district has four truck-stops with the popular ones being Hwange Urban and Cross Dete where prostitution is rife.
“This burden is due to a complex network of hotspots fuelled by mining activities, tourism and the high number of truck-stops along our highway. Hwange District was thus selected to host the commemorations on the basis of its high STI burden which is higher than all districts in the province.”
The district was recently rocked by a new phenomenon with school girls as young as 13 engaging in prostitution at Cross Dete, one of the HIV, STI hotspots.
The province has an estimated 72 377 people living with HIV of which 66 619 are on ART while Hwange has 13 095 people on treatment. According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS), Matabeleland North is ranked third in the country in terms of HIV burden.
A recent household assessment by ZIMPHIA reports indicated that the three Matabeleland provinces are leading in HIV prevalence rate in the country with the national HIV prevalence rate having slightly having gone down from 15 percent to 14,6 percent.
Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces have rates above the national average.
“Matabeleland South recorded a prevalence of 22,3 percent followed by Matabeleland North at 20,1 percent while Bulawayo stands at 18,7 percent.” Prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 64 years in Zimbabwe is 14,6 percent: 16,7 percent among females and 12,4 percent among males. This corresponds to approximately 1,2 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 15 to 64 years in Zimbabwe,” read the report.
The report said Manicaland has an adult prevalence rate of 11.4 percent, Mashonaland West (12,9 percent), Mashonaland Central at 13,6 percent, Mashonaland East and Midlands both have 14 percent and Masvingo has 14,9 percent while Harare stands at 14,2percent.
