By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE National AIDS Council (NAC) has bemoaned the low condom use by women compared to their male counterparts.
NAC policy and planning director Elizabeth Choseni said of the estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Zambia, a majority of those were female.
Speaking at the 2014 Pan African Positive Women’s Coalition (PAPWC) Indaba in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Choseni cited low and inconsistent condom use as one of the key drivers to contracting HIV/AIDS.
Other HIV/AIDS key drivers are vulnerable and marginalised groups, low male circumcision rates, multiple concurrent partnerships, mobile and migrant labour, Mother-to-child transmission, gender, alcohol, poverty, stigma and cultural practices, among others.
Ms Choseni said as was the case in other countries, according to 2012 statistics and the 2007 Zambia Health Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS), females out-numbered their male counterparts in as far as living with HIV/AIDS was concerned.
She said policies were being reviewed to provide an enabling environment for the national HIV response.
High impact interventions and key populations include averting between 170,000 and 360,000 new HIV infections by 2030, averting between 60,000 and 123,000 AIDS related deaths by 2030, reducing the annual rate of annual new infections from 53,000 in 2012 to 38,662 in 2016.
Other interventions are reducing the percentage of infants born with HIV to less than five percent by 2016 and increasing the percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS alive 36 months after initiating antiretroviral therapy from 81 percent in 2013 to 95 percent by 2016.
Officiating at the Indaba, acting President Guy Scott’s wife, Charlotte observed that HIV/AIDS could not be reduced without women participation hence praising PAPWC for its pivotal role in that area. Dr Scott bemoaned the rampant Gender Based Violence cases against women and girls as well as the continued existence of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS which she said was deterring most people from publicly disclosing their status.