More needs to be done in HIV/AIDS fight – Mvula

National Aids Council (NAC) Director for Policy and Planning Elizabeth Mvula says despite projections showing that Zambia’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has reduced from 14 to 12.7 percent, more needs to be done particularly among key populations.

Ms. Mvula who is leading a delegation involving officials from NAC and the civil society on a project themed “Strengthening of the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS” in Brasilia, Brazil, has stated that the situation remains worrying among the key population in Zambia in spite of the positive strides have been however recorded in the fight against the pandemic.

She says the study tour is thus aimed at getting important lessons, particularly that NAC was revising the strategic framework having defined key populations as people living with HIV, children, the disabled, prisoners, sex workers, adolescents, women and migrants.

And programme manager for Network of Zambian People Living with HIV, Mrs. Prisca Chintomfwa noted the lesson that she had learnt that the Brazilian system is more open and supportive against discrimination.

Mrs. Chintomfwa says there was a lot of emphasis against discriminating people with strong supportive mechanisms which could lead to the prosecution of offenders.

Meanwhile civil society coordinator at NAC Mr. Scrivener Kambikambi has expressed happiness with the way the Human Rights Commission in Brazil interacted with civil society, particularly on the joint committees that had been formed.

During their tour the delegation has visited the Secretariat for Human Rights, NGOELOS, Commission on Human Rights and Minorities of the House of Representatives, Office of the Federal Attorney General for Citizen’s Rights (PFDC) – Office of the Federal Prosecutor and held a round-table session with NGOs and Government of the Federal District (GDF) and paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil Ms Cynthia Jangulo.

The delegation also presented a general overview of the Zambia HIV and AIDS situation during one of the meetings.

This is contained in statement released to Qfm News by First Secretary for press at the Zambian mission in Brazil Patson Chilemba.