HIV/AIDS cases increasing among couples, Manet-Plus
New cases of the HIV and Aids are increasingly occurring among couples especially those married despite hyped public awareness of the pandemic, the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (Manet Plus) has disclosed.
Manet-Plus attributed the high rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence among married couples who do not stick to their vows.
The group called for a large-scale campaign encouraging couples to undergo HIV testing together and plan for better health.
Manet-Plus’s Programs Manager, George Kampango said studies have indicated that the HIV and Aids prevalence rate is high among couples, raising a fresh alarm.
“Couples especially those married and those yet to get married tend to play on each other’s trust. Because they are assured of their loved one trust, they can play around and mostly they have unprotected sex, which in the end widens chances of being infected or infect the other party with the virus,” he said.
Kampango said there is need to encourage HIV testing among married couples and those intending to marry in response to the situation.
“Going through the data from testing centres, it is clear that there is a need for intensive civil education more about the pandemic among couples. We have to use very avenue to curb the escalating infection numbers otherwise the situation is not pleasing at all,” Kampango said.
He said there as a need to scale-up counselling and awareness of the pandemic among couples in order to reverse the situation, which is posing threat to the country’s drive to win the battle against the world’s killer disease, Aids.
Kampango warns married couple against committing adultery saying unfaithfulness is the leading driver of HIV infection.
He urges couples to love, trust and show respect to one another if the world is to have an AIDS free generation
Malawi is one of the hardest hit countries in the sub Saharan region with a national HIV prevalence rate of 12 percent,
The country has about 255 000 people receiving antiretroviral treatment according to the Ministry of Health.
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