Zambia’s new HIV infections still high – UNFPA

HIV VIRUSThe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says new HIV infections remain high among young people and key populations in Zambia despite the large strides the country has made towards controlling the HIV epidemic.

UNFPA Country Director Dr. Mary Otieno says the good news is that Zambia has set ambitious targets to end the HIV epidemic, and aim to reduce the number of new annual infections from 46,000 to 15,000 among adults aged 15-59 and from 10,000 to 670 among those aged  0-15 years.

Dr Otieno notes that this will call for innovative and comprehensive HIV combination programming driven by evidence and coupled with strong dedicated leadership.

She says to reduce new HIV infections an intensive focus on primary prevention together with continued progress with the 90-90-90 agenda, as well as addressing structural, legal and policy barriers is required.

And in speech read on his behalf by Ministry of Health Director of Public Health and Research Dr Andrew Silumesi, Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has called for a more collaborative mechanism with leadership for results in the HIV response, leadership in mobilizing resources that will go towards prevention for collective impact and meeting the set targets in the comprehensive HIV prevention roadmap.

Dr. Chilufya has advised partners to stop working in isolation and begin to work collectively through the government structures that are mandated to coordinate and manage the HIV response.

He says it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that gaps are identified and recommendations made that will take the country to the vision of ending AIDS by 2030.

And speaking earlier, National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council Acting Director General Fortune Chibamba says the council is committed to ensuring that all stakeholders work together to achieve maximum results through collective actions.

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