Youths told to go for HIV testing

Ntcheu district principal nutrition, HIV and Aids officer Martin Pindamkono has urged youths in the district to go for voluntary HIV counselling and testing to know their status.

In an interview on Tuesday, he said despite the district registering strides in the fight against HIV, there is a concern of new infections among the youth.

“It is good to know one’s HIV status. Once you test positive, it is not the end of the world. You can start receiving anti-retroviral drugs [ARVs],” said Pindamkono.

Ntcheu district medical officer William Chisanga said they observed that youths shun voluntary HIV counselling and testing services despite several efforts to encourage them to get tested for the virus.

He said the development is threatening efforts to achieve 95-95-95 strategy, which says that 95 percent of people living with HIV should know their status, 95 percent of people who know their status should be on ARVs and another 95 percent of people on ARVs should have their viral load suppressed.

“There are many factors affecting the uptake of HIV services among the youth in the district, including religion and culture,” said Chisanga.

Traditional Authority Ganya commended Ntcheu District Health Office for encouraging the youth to get tested for the virus.