Malawi’s HIV rate declining, country hosts SADC feast
Malawi joins the rest of the world to mark the World Aids Day (December 1) which is an opportunity for individuals and groups to come together to remember, and demonstrate support to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
The global theme for the 2009 World AIDS Day is “Universal Access and Human Rights” chosen by the World AIDS Campaign, a network of civil society groups active in the response to HIV and AIDS.
The theme encourages all to deepen understanding, develop partnerships and challenge discriminatory laws, policies and practices that stand in the way of access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Malawi’s Secretary for Nutrition, HIV/AIDS in the Office of President and Cabinet, Dr Mary Shaba said the country is doing very well in the fight against the scourge and that distribution of anti-retroviral drugs has led to a huge fall in Aids-related death.
Malawi’s HIV/AIDS prevalence is about 12%, with approximately 85,000 people dying from AIDS-related illnesses annually.
“In 2004 every hour 10 Malawians were dying of HIV. That figure has gone down by 80 percent to 1.5 to two people dying per hour,” said Shaba.
“We only had 4,500 on ARVs in Malawi. We are now saying over 250,000 people have ever been started on ARVs. 64 percent are still alive,” said the official.
But with not all HIV-positive people in Malawi receiving treatment, Shawa say prevention is key to fighting the HIV epidemic.
The report published by UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation shows that the global number of new HIV infections has gone down by 17 per cent in the past eight years.
The report Outlook 2010, released this week state that the number of people living with HIV has increased by 20 per cent since 2000. Figures in the report also show that 33.4-million people are living with HIV across the globe.
They also show a reduction of 15 per cent in the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa, and a reduction in new HIV infections in East Asia of nearly 25 per cent. The report estimates that 73,000 people in the UK are living with HIV — double the number in 2000.
Meanwhile, the second edition of Sadc Artists Aids Festival is being hosted Malawi starting on this week until December 6, 2009.
The festival is a regional initiative aimed at working with artists in the response to HIV and Aids in Southern Africa.
There would be workshops on the sidelines of the festival starting on December 1 to 3 that would see facilitators from different countries making presentations with regard to the festival.
Other topics to be discussed include the role that Sadc artists can play in 2010, Sadc secretariat presentation on the sustainable investment campaign and the Southern African Editors on HIV and Aids Communication in the region.
On December 4, there would be a fundraising event while on December 5 and 6 there would be several exhibitions and performances that are free to the public.
The festival showcases the potential that the arts have in responding to the Aids epidemic in the Sadc region through music, theatre, dance, visual arts, poetry, film and exhibitions among others.
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