Govt urged to safeguard gains in HIV fight
Malawi on Friday commemorated World Aids Day with a call to safeguard successes registered in the fight against the pandemic over the years.
Speaking during the joint commemoration of World Aids day and the 40th annual International Aids Candlelight Memorial in Nkhotakota, UNAids country director Nuha Ceesay said while a lot has been done to slow down the spread of HIV in the country, a lot more needs to be done to end Aids as a public health threat by 2030.
He said: “Inequalities continue to persist for almost basic services like testing, treatment and condoms and more so for new technologies with key populations, adolescent girls and young women being the mostly affected.”
Ceesay called for more funding towards the fight against HIV and Aids and involvement of the youth in HIV and Aids responses.
Ministry of Health Principal Secretary for administration Beston Chisamile highlighted the need for Malawi to prioritise targeted HIV prevention interventions to close the tap for new infections
He said: “We must also continue to fight stigma and discrimination associated with HIV which is among the biggest barriers to effective HIV prevention, care and treatment.
“It is our moral duty to create a society where every person is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their HIV status.”
In her remarks, National Aids Commission (NAC) board chairperson Chipo Kanjo said by June 2023, a total of 952 011 people were aware that they were living with HIV out of which 937 994 were initiated on the life-prolonging ARVs and of those initiated on the ARVs, 872 334 had their viral load suppressed. This represents a 94:99:95 performance against the 2030 UNAids 95:95:95 treatment targets.
Malawi Network of People Living with HIV and Aids board chairperson Harriet Chiomba and Malawi Network of Aids Service Organisations vice board chairperson Pastor Lilian Kumwenda called for greater involvement of people living with HIV in planning and implementation of HIV programmes.
The event, which started with a solidarity march and candle-lighting ceremony in remembrance of those who died of Aids, was commemorated under the theme Let Communities Lead by Spreading Love and Showing Solidarity in Ending Aids by 2030.
According to NAC, Malawi is estimated to have about one million people living with HIV.
Female sex workers have the highest prevalence at 49.9 percent followed by People Who Inject Drugs at 27 percent respectively.
