Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
THE National Aids Council (Nac) has identified Bulawayo’s HIV hotspots which include densely populated suburbs, sports bars, lodges and guardrooms.
With an HIV prevalence rate of 18,7 percent, the third highest in the country above the national average at 14,6 percent, Bulawayo is considered an HIV hotspot.
According to the World Health Organisation, an HIV and Aids hotspot is a geographical area or location with evidence of a high prevalence of HIV, STIs or behaviours that put people at risk of acquiring HIV infection.
Nac said areas like Sidojiwe Flats, Burombo Flats, Makokoba suburb and Old Pumula suburb as well as Mbundane were HIV trouble spots in the province.
Cowdray Park’s new stands and Pumula South and squatter camps like Ngozi Mine and one near Killarney were also named in the same respect.
In an interview yesterday, Nac Bulawayo provincial Aids coordinator Mrs Sinatra Nyathi said sports bars with booking houses in Emakhandeni, Magwegwe and Cowdray Park were contributing to Bulawayo’s HIV prevalence.
“Streets like Samuel Parirenyatwa and places like Esibayeni and Marisha are also hotspots where even teenage sex workers thrive.
“Guardrooms, and lodges around the city have also been offered to sex workers at night,” said Mrs Nyathi.
“We have noticed that sports bars and places of amusement are fuelling HIV in that they promote risky sexual behaviour.
“First, it’s because they are meeting places for people who indulge in sexual activities and the influence of alcohol in such places may lead them to engage in risky sex.
“Some of these places have also been turned to accommodate short time sex.”
She said Nac had a 2017 budget to address all challenges in hotspots.
“We have started implementing some of the prevention programmes, for example in Cowdray Park new stands where we are working with teenage sex workers.
“We have also started implementing the Determined Resilient Empowered Aids-free Mentored and Safe (Dreams) initiative targeting adolescents who are driving our new infections,” said Mrs Nyathi.
According to results of the Zimbabwe Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA) 2015-2016, the country’s HIV prevalence rate has slightly decreased to 14,6 percent from 15 percent, with statistics showing that Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces have rates above the national average.
Matabeleland region also has the most new HIV infections.
ZIMPHIA, a household-based national survey, was conducted between October 2015 and August 2016 in order to measure the status of the national HIV response.
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