Zim AIDS deaths fall by 77%, We will be disease free by 2030, says Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe Acting President Emmerson D Mnangagwa has said HIV and Aids related deaths have declined by 77 percent in the country since 2006.

He also expressed hope that AIDS will be history by 2030.

While attending the World Aids Day commemorations in Kwekwe yesterday, Mnangagwa said the country was steadily recording a decrease in new infections in 15 to 49 year age group.

He said five per 1 000 Aids related deaths were recorded in 2016 against 50 per 1 000 which was recorded at the height of the pandemic in 1994.

The VP said according to the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) and Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS), Zimbabwe was making great strides in the fight against HIV and Aids. “The new information from the survey will give the country information on new HIV infections, total number of people in need of treatment and current levels of viral load.

“The incidence of new infections amongst the 15-49 year- olds has been reduced from 0.88 percent to 0.48 percent. This means that the number of new infections has reduced from almost nine to five in every 1000 adults per year,” he said.

He  said HIV prevalence in 15-49 year-olds is now 14 percent from 14,8 percent. “This means 14 in every 1 000 adults (15-49) are currently HIV infected.

This year’s commemorations were running under the theme, “Closing the tap of new HIV infections”.