Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe has officially launched the Information Education and Communication Dissemination HIV self-testing kits in Ndola on the Copperbelt Province.
Speaking at the launch of the testing kits, Mr. Nundwe said the self -testing kits have been provided for the people to test themselves individually and know their HIV status.
Mr. Nundwe noted that people should however take their results to the nearest health facilities after taking the test for further guidance, regardless of them being positive or negative.
He noted that HIV and Aids related cases were still high in the country and urged the people to stick to one sexual partner and reduce on the infection rate.
Mr Nundwe said all test kits would be placed in all malls in Ndola for everyone to have easy access.
And Provincial Medical Officer Consity Mwale said the target is to get 90 percent of the people on the Copperbelt to know their status and make informed decisions about their lives.
And Community Liaison Officer Mhlanga Jennipher who demonstrated how to use the kits said instructions were written in Bemba and Tonga as well as the official language which is English.
Zambians are not ready for this. I advice couples to test together! I!diots will be fabricating results.
It should also come along with a self-testing SUICIDE kit. I predict a lot of SUICIDE cases after this.
@sir boston jere. It’s disgusting comments like these that add to the stigma surrounding the disease. Grow Up!!!
Let me draw your attention to this ” instructions were written in Bemba and Tonga as well as the official language which is English”. imagine if it was UPND in govt..
Dweeb.
Awesome just hope the Ministry of Health will educate people about these gagates and set up counseling points at every outlet that will be giving out these HIV testing kits.
Fantastic move! Before an intimate encounter ladies should ask for a test with a dude. Then you will see the cowardice in the men…they will disappear in thin air never to show their scared face again.
It’s a difficult situation but rewarding once u get to know. U make better decisions about your life after knowing.
What about the aspect of counselling before the self-test? Isn’t it equally cardinal that one is psychologically ready for the result?
way to go
Way to go MoH. But also ensure that there are accessible places where people will get confirmatory tests and start treatment if found HIV positive.
Have we also thought whether these kits sometimes do not give the correct results? Sensitization needed on the kit usage before giving the public.
Am concerned because with the experience of malaria test kits, they show no malaria yet all symptoms are there, and when you do a lab test, bang! Malaria positive. Hope the HIV ones will be OK.
Comment:During the launch it was demonstrated that the tester would be moved round one’s gums WITHOUT injuring oneself.Now my question is: Is HIV found in saliva too? somebody help
HIV is not in saliva. The antibodies, things that fight the virus are there and that is what is detected.
Counselling Is important but people who choose to use the test know where to access it. If they don’t they will ask. We need to trust the user.
The idea is great however, it lacks collection of statistical data. Knowing how many kits have been distributed is the easy part. Knowing which cases yield a negative result will be difficult to establish since people are not being forced to report the results to a health center. It would be nice to ensure that people report the results whether positive or not.