Mtisunge Aids and Community Development Support Organisation programmes manager Michael Kameta has urged expectant women and youths in Nkhata Bay District to go for voluntary HIV counselling and testing to know their status.
He said this on Sunday at Bandawe Primary School in Traditional Authority (T/A) Malengamzoma during a Ndife Amodzi Know Your Rights awareness campaign aimed at strengthening community systems to prevent stigma and discrimination against women and children living with HIV.
Kameta said 6.4 percent of Nkhata Bay’s population lives with HIV and to avoid further transmission, it is essential that women and youths know their status.
He said: “In the course of our work, we are still meeting resistance from certain groups to undergo HIV testing.
“There is also resistance from women who after testing positive do not take anti-retroviral therapy treatment [ART], resulting in high rate of transmission.”
On her part, Bandawe Health Centre ART nurse Mary Mkandawire said it is good for expectant women to go for HIV testing with their spouses so they can be advised on how best to protect unborn babies from the virus.
Chintheche Police Unit officer Rebecca N’deza linked the high HIV prevalence rate in the district to gender-based violence (GBV).
“Our unit receives many cases connected to GBV. Women and young girls are being raped and some are left without support, which exposes them to immoral behaviour,” she said.
Group village head Nabayoti commended the organisation for the awareness.
The NGO conducted the awareness in partnership with Coalition of Women Living with HIV and Aids and Reach Trust and Y+ under the Kids Health, Kids Rights: Enhancing HIV Testing project with financial support from Aidsfonds.
