Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2006
Zimbabwe is among the countries worst hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which kills more than 3,000 people every week and accounts for 70 percent of hospital admissions.
But the crisis-hit southern African nation has also become one of the few AIDS bright spots on the continent after its HIV prevalence rate declined to 18.1 percent this year from 25 percent five years ago.
Health experts attribute the drop to more condom use and the success of programs encouraging people to have fewer sexual partners.
Mugabe, in a speech to mark World Aids Day published in the official Herald newspaper, said Zimbabweans should remain on guard for a disease that the United Nations says killed 2.9 million people globally in 2005, 2.1 million of them in Africa.
"I wish to urge all Zimbabweans to adopt a radical shift in the fight against the epidemic by reducing the personal risk of contracting HIV," Mugabe said.
"We must not be complacent. This drop, which is the only one in southern Africa, suggests that we are on the right track and we have many lessons to share with our neighbors," he said.
The veteran Zimbabwe leader, who has ruled the country since independence in 1980, said the government anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment program had been hamstrung by lack of funding. Critics say this has been worsened by a deep economic recession blamed on official incompetence.
The government had increased the number of people accessing the life prolonging ARVs from 26,000 in 2005 to 46,000 this year -- although the figure is still far short of the 600,000 people who need the drugs -- Mugabe said.
061201
RE061209
Copyright © 2006 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .