Government has announced that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country has decreased by 1.3 per cent between 2001 and 2007.
Meanwhile, HIV and AIDS awareness among the Zambian population has increased to about 99 per cent.
Minister of Health, Brain Chituwo says HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has reduced from 15.6 per cent to 14.3 per cent over a period of six years.
Dr. Chituwo announced this in Lusaka today when he officially released the 2007 Zambia Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS) and launched the Zambia Country Report; Multi-sectoral AIDS Response Monitoring and Evaluation Biennial Report, which he submitted to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS).
He attributed the development to government’s determination to improving the health sector and to stakeholders’ involvement towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He said the HIV prevalence in rural areas decreased from 10.8 per cent in 2001 to 10.3 per cent in 2007 while in urban areas, the figure slightly increased.
And Dr. Chituwo has disclosed that Zambia recorded an improvement in the maternal health care with a decrease in child mortality rates.
The minister further said there was a tremendous improvement protection of 7.9 per cent in 2001 to 32.7 per cent last year on malaria fights especially among pregnant women who used treated mosquito nets.
He commended the ZDHS and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) officials and other cooperating partners for the successful work they carried out.
Speaking earlier, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Country Representative, Aeneas Chuma, commended the Zambian government for managing to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Mr. Chuma has since called for huge investment in the health sector to achieve the intended targets.
He further called for the formulation of Community HIV/AIDS Task Forces in communities to combat further reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
And National AIDS Council (NAC) Chairman Bishop Joshua Banda urged the media to continue educating the public about HIV/AIDS related issues.
This is good news for Zambia, I hope and wish that the figures will drop further! I am very sure that condoms have played a big role in droping % of HIV rates. Let us continue to preach safe sex and responsibility in trying not to spread the virus. Let even those who are HIV+ know that condoms are still very relevant to their own preservation so that they dont contract other types/strains of HIV to prolong their lives. The availability of “nshaba” or ARV should not make us complacent, lets condomise at all times if we are to achieve zero infection rates to safeguard our future generations. Plz condomise, they are very safe, I believe in them! I am a veteran who speaks from experience!
Its really good news to hear that zedian are improving in sexual behaviour.keep it up.
Some food for thought; HIV is more prevalent in the age group ranging 15 to 35, why? (1) They r more sexually active. (2) Their foreskins are prone to cuts and bruises because they are not battle tested. (3) They acquire small sores due to dirt under the fore skin through which the virus gain easy entrance into the blood stream (4) They r impatient, practice violent sex. To all this, condoms prevent cuts and bruises thereby preventing the virus from reaching the blood vessels. The virus does not penetrate the condom, it remains outside thereby protecting those with poor foreskin hygiene! Majority of veterans above 40 yrs confess to having been saved by the device as opposed to good behaviour
Well good news but I doubt if this can be attributed to condoms. It’s more of people realizing that sex with or without a condom with a stranger is risky business. And most churches in Zambia makes HIV test mandatory before they marry you. Those of us that have used condoms know quit well how those parachutes burst in the thick of action. I would still advise abstinence.
Young people, dont even go very far if you want to learn about how to avoid contracting the virus. Ask any gentleman above 40 years, they have been around and somehow have managed to survive. The virus have been around for the past 20 years now. Those who r 40 and above were teenagers by then and very sexually active. The culture may have been slightly different compared to nowadays when a bar is a place boys take their girlfriends. In those days, any lady at a bar worse more smoking was called a bar girl, a word sinonimous to prostitute! These days the bar is a place of recreation, my God! For some they loose judgement to put on a condom when drunk, when illicit sex is common!
Keep up the good work. This is very positive news. We need to double our efforts to maintain this momentum
With the 25 000 Zimbos heading to Zambia……Kaya.
it has reduced because pipo have stopped going for the so called VCT and makes it difficult for you to keep data, and with the increase in discondant couples i think HIV also has changed its form, scientists pliz do your job, and pliz the gvnt bring alot of PCR machines for pipo to have real results and be sure of there status earlier.
Abstinence may work for people who r married or who have had enough of the pleasure and can now take a break! Displined people r always a minority, that is why not everybody passes with distinction, is a virgin, have first sexual encounter after marriage, the list is endless! Since the people who conform to the above r rare if not alien, the only way forward is a condom, that is reality my friend. I preach condoms to all teenagers I meet including my own kids. Bury your head in the sand and believe your children r abstinening, u will be awakened by rude shock! In fact I would not be wrong to say 99.9% people have had illicit sex in their lives, so who r we catering for abstinence?
“He said the HIV prevalence in rural areas decreased from 10.8 per cent in 2001 to 10.3 per cent in 2007 while in urban areas, the figure slightly increased.”
The figure slightly INCREASED! This is worrying.
Let us teach young people to abstain from all evils. I am not married, but abstinence is working well for me. I thus encourage all young people to be careful with the advice they get from this one and that one.
For those who are already infected, remember that God answers prayer(s).
Good news for me.
Legal jargon leaves NCC members dumb-founded
SOME members of the judicial committee of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) have complained that the legal jargon being used by legal practitioners during debates is beyond the understanding of other committee members.The observation was made when the committee chaired by UPND Monze member of Parliament (MP), Jack Mwiimbu was going through the previous day’s minutes.Chisamba MP Moses Muteteka said from the submission made, it was evident that some members were ignorant.
Mr Muteteka suggested that the jargon be simplified so that all members could be able to comprehend what was being discussed.“From the submissions that have been received, it is obvious that they (some members) are ignorant. Let us make things flexible to allow those members to go back and make fresh submissions,” he said.A committee member, Victor Makashi urged the members to read the materials that were given to them so that they could get some knowledge and effectively contribute during the debates.
Mr Makashi also suggested that they slow down in the deliberations so that everyone moved at the same pace.Another member, Jarm Bota echoed Mr Makashi’s sentiments, saying there was need to study the documents so that the members could make meaningful contributions.Debating article 202 of the Mung’omba draft Constitution that indicated that judges in the Supreme Court should be six, deputy high court registrar, Edward Musona said the number of judges at the Supreme Court should not be limited because the population was not static.
This information is falling on wrong ears.You dont unleash such data anyhow.Just tell us we have not done much in the fight.
Mwanawansa is working,he is slowly bringing sanity to the country.
Thabo Mbeki is theory of aids hiv being related to poverty is coming to pass
that’s good news
electrification of the blood kills any bacteria and virus infection including HIV. This technology was developed in 1991 but pharmaceutical companies have been hiding it from reaching the customers as it would have a significant implication on the latters profits as well as the industry. (people can cure themselves from a number of diseases without having to see any medical personnel or buy any medication).
If you have time just google electrification of the blood. In EU and US they sell the devise that electrify the blood (Pulsur and Black box). That’s why one bearly hears of people dying from AIDS in these places
Great news!!We still need more though especially from those in the public eye,to be more good examples.I mean it’s sad to see how the majority of our politicians have more than one wife,have several children outside wedlock & from a number of women.In Zambia our society is to a great extent small so,attention is on politicians,musicians,TV personalities.And for young people,getting role models is almost impossible from this group of personalities because most of them live shameless/shameful lives which i’m sure they wouldn’t want exposed.We therefore need to encourage & expose the right kind of role models,to this mostly affected age group of 15 to 35 years in order to win the fight.
This news is incorrect. They are so many malilo in the Zambian township nowadays. The biggest problem is that,they are so many people whose living or wealth depends on HIV/AIDs programmes and they are trying to impress the donors that indeed the lots of donated funds is atleast working.Which has not been the case.
Conmen know that there is alot of money pumped into Aids programmes.Some people whose lives depend on AIDs propanding are cheating for still more than 65% population in Zambian do not know their HIV status.Now, how come??? Mazabuka reported 22,000 people on ARVs.Probably even Mwanangwa is HIV+.
#19 just googled your reference about electrification of blood. Sounds interesting. I think we need to wait till this technology is main stream. Lokks like it is still research work and the issue of side effects is yet to be investigated
Nobody in Africa is free from HIV/AIDs.Come 2011,the mjority of Africans will catch this disease. Even those that are laughing today or whether fu***cks or not. They will find themselves in this senerio. Most foods we consume in Africa are manufactured in European countries.So expect………………..
Only God can protect someone.
Good lucky to all those that are still negative. Stay safe. Don’t say i can’t get it because it has reduced …. uzadabwa.
Kaya! What worries me is condoms are expensive in developed countries.
There is smething wrong with these numbers; given that urbanizaion is 36% (CSO) and national prevalence rate was 15.6 when rural rate was 10.8%; the urban prevalence should have been 24.13%. Now we are told national rate is 14.3% and rural rate is 10.3% if urbanisation is around the same level, then the urban rate should be around 21% and cannot be said to have increased slightly from 24.13%. Clearly some figures have been cooked, why didnt they give prevalence rates for urban areas?
No. 22, in 1994 a Greek doctor tried this method on HIV patients and the process worked without any side effects. if you have broadband internet, go to youtube and type electrification of the blood and see the results
Powerful anti Aids HIV medicine is to marry cautiously to someone from a strong moral anchored family you have known very well.Stay faithfull to your one and only partner for life regards of all odds. Avoid all kinds of promiscuity.Understand that women or men are all the same depending on your own investment in the partner.Respect your bodies and each other. Spare your partner from exposure to bakapalanganya amayanda without a strong family background where they come from.Such will never build your lives but lock you in their failed families backgrounds.
Fellas, before you start becoming reckless due to the reported ‘drop’ in the prevalence rates, the Ministry of Health should consult a statistician to check if this reported difference is statistically significant. A simple analysis of variance will do. If the ‘drop’ is found not to be significant, Chituwo and his team should seriously re-think their strategies in combating this scourge.Infact this survey is done jointly with CSO, anyone from there to shed more light?
Morality will accentuate the build up of responsible societies.Condoms are not the ultimate solution to the epidermic eating humanity today but moral credence.Building Strong nations starts with strong moral families. So is strong leadership starts with strong moral family hoods undeterred by any circumstances as set apart for the vision concieved long before times.
#9, And I preach Jesus, and Him crucified.
Prof Mapopa Mtonga dies
Am highly saddaned by the death of Prof Mutonga, He has contributed a lot to Zambian, especially rewriting Zambian History and Culture. We have lost highly educated people in Zambia, We are 20 years behind, Do we have any other culture experts in Zambia.
Lets us help our people leave longer, lets defeat out ever has been killing our people. Lets be open and discuss this problem of dealth. Last year it was Dr. Alfred Chanda who died in a Road accident. I assume we have big number of teachers dying also.
Help the people in the compounds and in the villages, they need better life styles: education, jobs, housing, water…
Lets’s be honest, let’s be blunt, this thing is has been the biggest travesty of the century! Who has suffered the most! Enough is enough!
Preach responsibility, preach condoms, responsibility condoms, responsibility condoms…
Zambia, put an end to this thing.
I and I overstand that de virus was brought to Africa by white scientists with dem evil concept to kill off the Black race. But who Jah bless, no man curse, seen? That is why de tables dem slowly turning and de virus is going back to it’s inventors, while I and I become resistant by divine powers of the Most High! Right now HIV cases are increasing in Europe an America. Bun dem!
Good news, i miss the days of abandant copulation.
We can’t ascertain with confidence whether there’s been an increase or decrease. What we do know though, is that condoms have saved thousands of people. Let’s not go live like CNN, no matter how beautiful she is ba wishi.
Actually, one of you was sleeping with my girfriend at the same time I was – condoms saved me. From AIDS and the promiscous mother of a child that isn’t mine.
BUN DEM DREAD, sound!
Yah, the figures dont make any sense without a statistical back up. I agree with #29. Most of these pipo are illiterate in statistics and will clap their hands to hear that the prevalence rate has droped by 1.3%. Mind you, most of this information is got from mothers who go for antenatal and very few sexually active boys and girls go for VCT, making it very unreliable to say the rate is decreasing. The best medicine is what Senior Citizen (# 28 & 30) has said. Lets not cheat our selves that we cannot abstain. The other point is belief in condoms which we do not even manufacture. We know for sure that they are 100% effective at preventing pregancies not HIV/AIDS.
Bun Dem Dread who Jah bless, no man curse, seen? ha ha ha.
sex in the city hey i think its better to condomise. The young at heart are fond of doing things that they have been told not to do. Sex is bad stay away from it..they will sheta to see the bad side of it without a condom. Better tell them to condomise..about the reduction let us ignore, we do not even know how the research was conducted. 1 out of 5 Zambians is HIV+ who did this research? Every second a person is contracting HIV, how sexually active are we? these are the researches that lives a lot of questions unanswered. Many have stopped going for tests hence the reduction. womanise & condomise or Manise & Femidomise……
LT:”He said the HIV prevalence in rural areas decreased from 10.8 per cent in 2001 to 10.3 per cent in 2007 while in urban areas, the figure slightly increased”
Times of Zambia:”…He said in urban areas the reduction was from 23.1 per cent to 19.7 per cent while in rural areas the prevalence was now 10.3 per cent from 10.8 per cent…”
Ba LT urban prevalence rate has not increased slightly, it has actually decreased more than the rural areas. Always check your facts and make sure mathematical correctness wen reporting numbers..
#38, I strongly feel that young people are not supposed to be cheated and/or tricked.
Please, tell them that sex is good and honourable when done under the right auspices of MARRIAGE. Make sure, they understand that indulging themselves into it when the conditions are wrong, eg under no marriage obligation, will bring telling destruction to them and their future married life.
The time to be true to oneself and fellow human beings is at hand. One lie may have terrible implications on our nation especially extinction.
We have reached a stage where economic and social development is vital in our Zambian people. Thus, let us all abstain from all forms of evil!
#40 continued…. In fact, tell the young to have self esteem and respect for the opposite sex.
Once we all have great respect for our bodies, the greatest instruments we will ever own, then we can respect our fellow human beings whether male or female.
Then the respect will be extended to our neighbours and ultimately the nation as a whole will be back on a normal moral track.
Please, respect the young people and do not underrate them. Young people respect your elders and take heed of their SOUND advice.
Be blessed you all.
I would not say am excited about the drop because it is insignifiant and may just fall within the margin of error. We need to know what sample was used to determine the result. We still have a long way to go with HIV infection. Do not fall in the media hype.
I would not say am excited about the drop because it is insignificant and may just fall within the margin of error. We need to know what sample was used to determine the result. We still have a long way to go with HIV infection. Do not fall in the media hype.
Ka Percentage ubunono? Yaba!
well thats abit of a relief but there some stubborn people who really need to get the message thru their thick skull that aids is REAL
1.3% progress is too small for a country. Compare that drop to the number of bio-indicated new infections PLUS those infections that were possibly still in their window-period at the time of recording, the percentage could be reduced further to below 1%! THUS, we must exercise caution and continue playing safe. I don’t know what is wrong with the media and our politicians…why try and blow up a mosquito into a buffalo? We are killing even the little improvement that was beginning to register. For once, DHS studies are known for their sampling problems. Their data is quite possibly institutionally-based which brings in the question of possible under-estimation. CAREFUL!!