NGO intensifies HIV fight

Find Your Feet has intensified HIV awareness campaign to address discrimination against people living with the virus and  promote HIV prevention and management in Karonga District.

Speaking on Tuesday at Iponga in Senior Chief Mwakaboko during a play aimed at disseminating HIV messages, Karonga district Find Your Feet project officer Prince Kayira said they used drama to attract huge crowds to get the HIV message.

He said: “We want to create a safe space for people living with HIV to open up about their status.

“We also want duty-bearers to encourage community members to go for HIV testing and adhere to anti-retroviral treatment (ART).”

Iponga Health Centre in-charge Chimwemwe Nangwale asked authorities to establish outreach clinics in hard-to-reach areas to accelerate ART among clients.

“At Iponga Health Centre, out of 2 100 clients on ART, about 600  are defaulting,” he said.

Karonga district HIV and Aids coordinator Thumbiko Munthali said his office has already established mobile clinics to provide ART services.

“As an office, we have our own catchment areas where we provide outreach ART services. So, it is up to Iponga Health Centre to identify theirs,” he said.

With funding from the British ViiV Health Care UK Limited, Find Your Feet is implementing a Building Resilience of Adolescent Mothers Living with HIV in nine health centres in the district.