National AIDS Council (NAC) Board Chairperson Joshua Banda says Zambia has made remarkable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.
Bishop Banda said the country has so far achieved 100 percent HIV blood screening and has also managed to put about 70 percent of the people who require treatment on Anti Retro Viral (ARVS) drugs.
Bishop Banda said this in Kasama today when he addressed the 7th AMICAALL- Zambia General Assemble being held alongside the 47th Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) Annual General conference under the theme “Local Government – A responsive approach to accelerating MDGs attainment through decentralization”.
Progress has also been made in the reduction of the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child from 30 percent to 10 percent while the number of people willing to know their HIV status has increased from 16 percent to 43 percent.
The NAC chairperson also revealed that the country has registered a TB cure rate of 80 percent and a reduction in the default rate.
Bishop Banda has since appealed to civic leaders to be part of the intensified efforts towards meeting the set targets by 2015 by using their comparative advantage to harness resources for the attainment of other MDGs.
He said local government has a critical role in the attainment of MDG targets as it plays a catalytical role in linking central government to communities dealing with health, political and social economic challenges caused by HIV/AIDs.
Bishop Banda said NAC has resolved to intensify HIV/AIDS interventions at local level for the next framework circle 2011-2015 which was in tandem with the MDG target date.
He pointed out that the decentralization of HIV services will lead to their integration and mainstreaming in Local Government programmes
Bishop Banda added that decentralization will help communities be part of the problem identification and solving process as opposed to importation of solution which tend to alienate the people.
He noted that collaboration with influential community actors such as traditional and faith based leaders will lead to enhancement and synergies of programmes and achievement of long term sustainable development results.
Meanwhile, Bishop Banda says there were no plans to make HIV testing compulsory besides the routine testing being done when women go for antenatal clinic.
Responding to a question by one of the delegates who wanted to know whether NAC had plans to make HIV testing compulsory, Bishop Banda said NAC was of the view that voluntary counseling was more empowering.
He said individuals should be concerned with saving their lives by willingly knowing their HIV status.
Bishop Banda also said NAC has prioritised the maximization of male circumcision as there was documentary proof that it is quite effective in the fight
ZANIS
Today I went to the AIDS International Conference 2010 being held in Vienna. To my surprise, Zambia has no Stand where Information can be obtained. I ended up visiting Botswana and Zimbabwe Stands. I even wonder if there is any Zambian representing Zambia, I just could not see them.
This is good news. we are getting there. But please could someone give us the recent HIV prevelence statistics per province and district so that we know which parts of the country are in need of help most.
EISH …..i just hate this Bishop Banda so what ever says to me S.U.C.K.S…aba akanwa ukubendama …nakabobe ububi nga gomo-gomo
“Government has disclosed that the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Country is still alarming.
Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao said this to mark the Launch of the World Voluntary Counseling and Testing VCT Day which fall today on National Television last evening.Mr Simbao said estimates indicate that as of 2009 about 82,600 new HIV/AIDS related infections of people between the ages of 15 and 49 were recorded.This translates into 226 new infections everyday.The Minister said Government attributes the rise in new infections to continued low levels of VCT among Zambians and uneasy access to HIV/AIDS testing centers and facilities especially in rural areas.”
What to believe ???
Someone is lying here. . .
Who is misleading us with regard to HIV/AIDS ?
Is it the Government Minister or the Church Minister ???
In Zambia there is no excuse not to be tested and get drugs. I am HIV positive and there are a lot of places you can get proper treatment from the government. The problem we have is still the stigma attached to it and not wanting to be seen at the clinic.Of late the biggest problem has been pastors claiming to heal people and telling them to stop taking theie ARV drugs
@Gaga,
You have my utmost respect!
# 6 Gaga,how long have u had AIDS for?how long have u been on ARVs?
Let’s hope this Church Minister doesn’t end up like his former boss (who kept on promising ‘Zambia Shall be Saved’; chewed someone’s wife; ate someone’s shits and was taken to court and even chewed ka K14m meant for his nephew given to him in a brown envelope! Anyway, he is now the High Commissioner in Canada! Real respect!
ba Gaga banama chabe bali nakaswinde ati Aids…it reminds of this guy called win femo femo Zulu, this guy revealed in the 80s that is he was positive and til now he is still alive with no evidence of being an Aids patient and too much pinti and na talibans ku emasdale.Guys lets be real its not fashaionable to infected with that disease.Aids is real
Zedians in Arusha #10, I can’t comprehend, whatever you want from Gaga #6, is neither here nor there, who told you that everyone who has AIDS has to show symptoms or ‘evidence’ as you put it. Gaga just keep taking those ARVs, in fact here in the western world people do not die of AIDS anymore, this does not mean nobody suffers from it, but they just live positively doing the right things and taking their drugs.
#6 Is right, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in Zambia. You only have to look at the insults heaped on George Kunda such as ‘the red lipped one’ on this very blog to see how some people think. You would think that theirs is the only family in Zambia that has not been affected by this disease.
# 10 Zedian is childish and seem to be very ignorant of HIV/AiDS despite the masive campaigns being conducted in Zambia. GAGA’ s contribution is so logical and I salute him to come out the way he has done. We need such people to fight this scouge. Its either you are infected or affected. AIDS IS REAL and gone are the days when people would look miserable when they discover they are HIV+ due to stigma. Wake up people dont just write crap on this VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
Gaga, I admire your courage. we should all learn from you. may you become a blessing to many by counselling as many people as possible. encourage them to test and adhere to treatment. As for you #11, there’s no need for you to say that as Gaga’s message is clear. he is not asking SOS. The guy is merely trying to help others live positively like him. Next time be careful with the comments you make on serious issues such as this one.
So u call yoself a Bishop and claim that God speaks to u? Just cheating pipo and eating free money from pipo who are blind followers. Thieves now hide mainly in so called churches where pipo only say amen amen 2 everything meanwhile these grade 12 drop outs are becoming billionaires on silver plate, atase. Nevers Mumba is a good example. When is Zambia going to be saved? He no longer talks about it now. Shame on u fake preachers! Bakabolala ba mumachurch. Ubusushi bwekabweka!!