By MIRIAM ZIMBA-
THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is elated with the strides Zambia has scored in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
USAID acting Mission Director Patrick Diskin said in Lusaka during the launch of the three orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) Rising Activities, that there have been a lot of developments in the fight against HIV and AIDS since 2002.
“One change that particularly strikes me is the great progress that Zambia has made in the fight against HIV and AIDS during this period,” he said.
“In 2002, AIDS deaths were at a peak-one out of every 100 young adults died from AIDS related causes that year. Now the number of deaths is one-third of that,” he said.
Mr Diskin said the incidence of new HIV infections per year is also less than one-half of what was prevailing in 2002.
He said although free anti-retroviral  treatment (ART), was not available in 2002, now the country has more than half a million Zambians on ART, with support from the US government’s Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme.
He added that through efforts to fight the transmission of HIV from mothers to children, the infection rate for children has dropped from the previous 40 per cent to less than 5 per cent.
Mr Diskin said with these efforts being made, the country is on course to attaining an AIDS-free generation.
“If this dramatic success continues, Zambia is on the path to becoming one of the first counties to achieve an AIDS-free generation- this is something I could not imagine back in 2002,” he said.
He, however, noted that despite this progress, AIDS remains a heavy burden, and that AIDS related deaths in the past years have devastated many families, and has spawned a generation of OVCs who struggle to meet their basic needs.
Because HIV and AIDS predominantly affect people in the prime of their lives, the victims are often young adults many of whom are just starting up families, and they leave their children and the elderly generation behind.
Currently, more than 600,000 children in Zambia have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS, and 150,000 are infected with the HIV virus.
Mr Diskin stressed the need to provide care and support for these children, which is one of the biggest challenges that Zambia faces today.
He said, his government, in partnership with the Zambian Government remains committed to help meet this challenge through the support to the Zambia Rising, Community Rising and Data Rising activities.
The Zambia Rising project led by Save the Children, works with Government at the national level to build its capacity to support the welfare and development of OVC’s through better delivery systems and policies.
Mr Diskin explained that the Community Rising project, led by the Luapula Foundation works in building capacities and to engage communities in planning and implementing programmes that support OVC’s.
He said his Government remains committed to continued strong partnerships with the Zambian Government in the ongoing battle against HIV and AIDS, and that the US government will continue to provide substantial support for OVC’s who become victims.