Some Relevant books and researches in our Library Collection
Complexities of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and around the world
Key facts
- HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 34 million lives so far. In 2014, 1.2 [980 000–1.6 million] million people died from HIV-related causes globally.
- There were approximately 36.9 [34.3–41.4] million people living with HIV at the end of 2014 with 2.0 [1.9–2.2] million people becoming newly infected with HIV in 2014 globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, with 25.8 [24.0–28.7] million people living with HIV in 2014. Also sub-Saharan Africa accounts for almost 70% of the global total of new HIV infections.
- HIV infection is often diagnosed through rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), which detect the presence or absence of HIV antibodies. Most often these tests provide same day test results; essential for same day diagnosis and early treatment and care.
- There is no cure for HIV infection. However, effective antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus and help prevent transmission so that people with HIV, and those at substantial risk, can enjoy healthy and productive lives.
- It is estimated that currently only 54% of people with HIV know their status. In 2014, approximately 150 million children and adults in 129 low- and middle-income countries received HIV testing services.
- By mid-2015, 15.8 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally.
- Between 2000 and 2015, new HIV infections have fallen by 35%, AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 24% with some 7.8 million lives saved as a result of international efforts that led the global achievement of the HIV targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
- Expanding ART to all people living with HIV and expanding prevention choices can help avert 21 million AIDS-related deaths and 28 million new infections by 2030.
extracted from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/
HIV complexities in Zimbabwe
HIV cases continue to rise in some areas in Zimbabwe
Recently there was a out cry by the national aids council (NAC) over the increase in HIV cases in Biga.According to Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent,BINGA District recorded a 100 percent increase in HIV prevalence in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period last year.The National Aids Council (NAC) has raised a red flag over the sudden increase. The district used to have the lowest HIV prevalence in the country.
This increase in HIV cases ha been attributed to increased interaction with outsiders as HIV hot spots are in areas where fishing is done. Those fishing hot spots are the ones that make us suspect that maybe people coming to buy fish could be contributing to this.” However, more research was recommended to find the reasons for the increase.
‘HIV infections rate not slowing down by p Mbanje’
The report is critical to countries that have become complacent, highlighting that some countries with previously stable or declining HIV epidemics have shown trends of increasing risky sexual behaviours, among at-risk groups over the past five years, with new HIV infections on the rise.
This has been the case in Zimbabwe which despite the prevalence rate falling from an all high of 33% to around 14 %, there were still reports of risky sexual behaviour.
extracted from https://www.newsday.co.zw/2015/07/01/hiv-infections-rate-not-slowing-down/
HIV in Zimbabwe: Is condom use really working?
Despite Zimbabweans being the highest condom users in the world,
the HIV/Aids prevalence rate still remains one of the highest in the
world, and one wonders whether promoting condoms use is as effective as
the world has been made to believe.
The latest HIV/Aids statistics in Zimbabwe show that the prevalence rate is still very high at 15% as in 2014, whilst in the same year condom usage was reported to have been 104 million male, and 5.2 million female condoms – the highest in the world.
In their report entitled ‘Condom Promotion for Aids Prevention in the Developing World: Is it working?’, Norman Hearst, a professor at the University of California, and Sanny Chen, an epidemiologist with the San Francisco Department of Health, noted that, ‘in many sub-Saharan African countries high HIV transmission rates have continued despite high rates of condom use’. The report said that ‘no clear examples have emerged yet of a country that has turned back a generalised epidermic primarily by means of condom promotion’.
This is disturbing in light of the over-emphasis on condom use as an effective measure in the prevention of HIV/Aids that has taken root in most campaigns in this country, and indeed, the rest if the Southern African region.
Helen Epstein, a visiting research scholar at the Centre for Health and Wellness at Princeton University, said that efforts aimed at stopping the spread of HIV had had disappointing results because of ignoring fidelity, by promoting condom use, and that this ‘may well have undermined efforts to fight the epidermic’.
extracted from http://www.thezimbabwean.co/2016/01/hiv-in-zimbabwe-is-condom-use-really-working/
56 Percent of Sex Workers HIV+ in Zimbabwe according to NAC Research
As reported by Thupeyo Muleya, Research
by the National Aids Council indicates that although the national HIV
and Aids prevalence has been declining in the past two years, prevalence
is four times high in other community groups like commercial sex
workers. NAC monitoring and evaluation director Mr Amon Mpofu told
parliamentarians that although the prevalence rate
nationally stood at 13,8 percent as of December 31 last year, down from
15,3 the previous year, indications were that 56,4 percent of commercial
sex workers were infected.
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