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Roundup: Zimbabwe HIV prevalence rate in steady decline

Xinhua, December 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zimbabwe is making progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating HIV by 2030 as national HIV prevalence rate has steadily declined from 18 percent to 14 percent over the last 10 years, according to results of a recent survey.

Experts, however, say the rate still remains high and call for redoubling of efforts to eliminate the scourge.

According to final results of the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) released Tuesday, HIV prevalence had decreased among both men and women aged 15-49 years since 2005, although there was a higher prevalence rate among women at 17 percent than men at 11 percent.

The country's national HIV prevalence rate stood at 15 percent in 2010.

"Prevalence rates are highest among those who are widowed or divorced and lowest among those who have never been married," according to the study.

Overall, 2 percent of children aged 0-14 years are HIV positive while in all childhood age groups, HIV prevalence is much higher among children whose mothers are HIV positive.

The findings showed a 50 percent increase in testing for both men and women in 2015, with HIV testing among women in the 15-49 age group increasing to 79.6 percent from 48.8 percent in 2010 while for men in the same age group it increased to 62.4 percent compared to 35.9 percent in 2010.

Speaking at the launch of the results, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative Cheik Tidiane Cisse said the HIV results were promising and showed that Zimbabwe was on the right track to achieving the SDG targets.

"We should celebrate this great achievement, but we must not lose momentum," he said.

He added that Zimbabwe's HIV prevalence rate was still unacceptably high, the fifth highest globally and called for more investment in HIV prevention and response.

Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency director-general Mutasa Dzinotizei said the findings would help government and development partners develop relevant health related programs and interventions.

The ZDHS findings also showed that maternal mortality declined 32 percent to 651 per 100,000 live births from a whooping 960 in 2010 mainly due to improved maternal health care.

The maternal mortality rate, however, still remains high and far below government target to reduce the deaths to 326 per 100,000 live births by 2020.

In adolescent sexual reproductive health, the findings showed that the adolescent fertility rate remains high among young girls in Zimbabwe, with nearly one in 10 young girls giving birth every year.

Cisse said there is need for more interventions to help the girl child spend more time in school.

The 2015 ZDHS, done after every five years, is the sixth since independence in 1980 and is carried out by government with support from development partners to collect demographic and health data to help in the formulation of the country's development policies and programs. Endit