Hundreds commemorate AIDS Day
Published On December 2, 2015 » 3119 Views» By Davies M.M Chanda » Latest News
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By BRIAN HATYOKA –
HUNDREDS of people yesterday held various activities across the country in commemoration of the World AIDS Day under the local theme ‘Zambia’s Future: Getting zero HIV infections’.
First Lady Esther Lungu joined scores of people at Livingstone’s Villa Grounds where she called on young people to abstain from sex until they were married but focus on building a strong foundation to sustain their livelihood.
Ms Lungu assured Zambians and the world at large of her unflinching support towards HIV and AIDS interventions which would enhance the wellbeing of everyone, especially the young people.
“Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to deliver my special message to the young people of Zambia. Abstain from sex and wait until the right time, avoid being taken advantage of by all the people and when you say no, ensure you stand firmly by your no,” she said.
Ms Lungu was saddened to hear of increasing cases of teenage pregnancies, early marriages, sexual abuses and high rates of school dropouts, especially among young girls.
She thanked the Zambian Government, cooperating partners, civil society, individuals and other stakeholders for working so hard for bringing down the HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in Zambia from 14 per cent to 12.5 per cent.
National AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC) Board chairperson George Tembo said there was need to seek ways of raising money locally to finance the response to HIV and AIDS.
Dr Tembo said the financing of the response to HIV/AIDS of about 80 per cent was currently coming from external donors.
United Nations (UN) resident coordinator Hamid El-Bashir Ibrahim said more than 700,000 people were living on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment in Zambia.
Senior Chief Mukuni said his chiefdom was particularly concerned about its adolescent girls and young women who were disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS.
In Lusaka, MELBOURNE MUSHITU and CHIDA SAKALA report that Youth and Sports Minister Vincent Mwale has called on the youths in the country to be in the forefront in efforts aimed at eliminating HIV and AIDS.
Mr Mwale said youths were future leaders and their role in the fight against HIV and AIDS was crucial.
The minister said the Government was committed to ensuring that the country had zero new infections and zero HIV/AIDS-related deaths through universal access to prevention, treatment and support services.
Through the NAC, the Government has implemented a programme aimed at scaling up the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) by using community models.
UN representative Medhin Tsehain said the prevention of new infections should be made priority in Zambia in order to eliminate the epidemic.
And MAYA NTANDA reports from Kitwe that about 4,000 people were on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in the district.
District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe said in a speech read for him by district administrative officer Mwape Kasanda that more than 66,600 people underwent voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) from January to October this year.
He said 8,111 people of these tested positive, a figure he described as the highest in the Copperbelt province.

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