Malawi: HIV/AIDS deaths reduce

  1. Posted on Saturday 29 November 2008 - 11:40
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    Malawi has made a tremendous stride by reducing the HIV/AIDS related deaths by 75 percent since 2004, the country's Nutrition, HIV/AIDS official said Thursday. The Southern African country is among the African countries which have been hardly hit by the pandemic which has killed so many people.
    HIV_AIDS
    The Secretary for Nutrition, HIV/AIDS Mary Shaba said the country was moving forward in the fight against the HIV/Aids pandemic stressing that its deaths have gone down by 75 percent.

    Shaba also said that the country’s efforts have seen the increase in number of people accessing antiretroviral treatment (ART).

    “We have dispelled myths that a poor country cannot successfully administer ARV’s. We have also proved wrong the argument that you only need a qualified doctor to administer the treatment,” she said.

    According to Malawi’s local Daily Times said out of the 300,000 people eligible for the treatment, 187,000 of them are accessing the ARV treatment.

    The local paper also quoted Shaba as saying the country has become a shining example to other countries adding that this was due to considerable level of leadership and efforts from various sectors.

    Malawi last week carried out its campaign of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) ahead of the World Aids Day on December 1.

    According to Shaba the country still needs to do more especially in terms of behavioural change. The HIV virus which causes Aids is mostly transmitted through sexual intercourse.

    Several companies and firms in Malawi have taken up the task of implementing HIV/AIDS policies with an aim of fighting such issues as discrimination.

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