Zim's New HIV Infections Decline:UNAIDS

The UNAIDS Global AIDS Report released ahead of the International AIDS conference to be held in Melbourne,Australia on July 20, shows that Zimbabwe is one of the 15 countries that account for 75% of new HIV infections globally. The report also shows that even though Zimbabwe has a major AIDS burden, it is among the countries that have made the strongest response. 

For example, Zimbabwe accounts for 3% of all new HIV infections globally in 2013, but there has been a 34% decline in the number of new infections in Zimbabwe between 2005 and 2013. Similarly, Zimbabwe accounts for 4% of all AIDS deaths in 2013, but deaths from AIDS in Zimbabwe have declined by 57% between 2005 and 2013.

Strong progress by Zimbabwe in scaling up treatment access is featured in the report, with Zimbabwe contributing 5% of the global total of people newly accessing antiretroviral therapy between 2010 and 2013. 

According to The UNAIDS country director for Zimbabwe Michael Bartos Zimbabwe will have a strong presence at the Melbourne conference including a satellite session headed by Minister for Health and Child Care, Dr Parirenyatwa, which will feature the country’s strong progress towards eliminating mother to child HIV transmission.

Meanwhile, minister Parirenyatwa’s mother, also the widow of the late national hero Samuel Tichafa Parirenyatwa, Emily Mkwananzi has died.Mrs Parirenyatwaa nurse by profession,who hailed from Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland died at Parirenyatwa hospital in Harare.Mourners are gathered at her home in Romney Park in Bulawayo.Her husband Samuel Parirenyatwa the first black medical doctor in the country and then vice president of ZAPU led by Dr Joshua Nkomo died in 1962 when his car was hit by a train near Heany Junction near Bulawayo.