People Living With HIV and Aids want protection 

People living With HIV and Aids in Dedza District have urged the government to put in place measures that ensure their inclusion in decision-making positions and benefit from social support programmes.

Naison Adamu, chairperson for Kasumbu HIV and Aids Support Group in Dedza District, said this on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Aids Day commemorations organised by the council in Ngele Village under Traditional Authority Kasumbu.

He said people living with HIV and Aids in his area face many challenges because they are not allowed to fully participate in development activities and are not considered when selecting beneficiaries for various government initiatives, including the social cash transfer commonly known as Ntukula Pakhomo.

Said Adamu: “This affects us both psychologically and economically as we feel rejected by our own people, as such, resort to isolation or fail to meet our daily needs.”

He, therefore, asked government to put in place measures that will enable them to fully participate in the development of the country.

“Let me also encourage people living with HIV and Aids in the district to continue taking antiretroviral drugs to stay healthy and productive,” said Adamu.

On his part, Dedza District Council principal nutrition and HIV and Aids officer Lottie Makina said HIV and Aids has a devastating impact on all sectors of development in the district.

He said this is the reason the council is encouraging people to adhere to prevention measures to reduce new infections and eliminate HIV as a public threat in the district.

In his remarks, Dedza District Council chairperson Isaac Ziyaya urged people in the district to get tested for HIV to know their status so that they can make sound decisions pertaining their lives.