Cedep rolls out HIV prevention project in Karonga

Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) has embarked on a K60 million project in Karonga to fight  HIV and Aids among gays and female sex workers.

Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Karonga on Wednesday, Cedep programmes manager Tiferanji Vizyalona said the percentage of HIV among sexual minorities is high due to inadequate prevention strategies.

He said: ‘‘Our survey estimated that seven districts in the country, including Karonga and Nkhata Bay in the Northern Region, have high percentage of men that have sex with other men.’’

‘‘However, we discovered that the districts had no strategies to ensure that these groups of people are avoiding HIV and Aids, a development that is contributing to the spread of the disease.’’

Vizyalona said apart from distributing, the organisation sensitises men and female sex workers in Karonga to go for HIV testing.

Project officer of Discover, a local non-governmental organisation in Karonga, Kondwani Winga, noted that the absence of transgender laws in the country might affect the programme, a suggestion some people disputed.

Few weeks ago, religious leaders in the district demonstrated against the formulation of transgender laws arguing such laws are un Christian. n