AIDS council in Zambia calls for more voluntary counseling
Zinhua, June 30, 2006
Zambia: An official with Zambia's National AIDS Council (NAC) has called on people to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) bemoaning the current level of testing rates for HIV in the country is too low to sufficiently combat the disease.
Program Director Alex Simwanza said it was important that many people know their status if the fight against HIV/AIDS were to be won.
"Currently, statistics show that despite our high sustained prevalence levels of HIV infection which is 16 percent, only 1.5 million of our (10 million) population have been tested, which is too low," Simwanza was quoted by Friday's The Post as saying.
"It is important that more people go for VCT and know their status so that whichever side they find themselves on, they will be able to take precautionary measures," Simwanza said.
"Knowledge in the fight against HIV/AIDS is power," he added.
Simwanza appealed to those who do not know their status to utilize the VCT Day that falls Friday and make a difference in their lives and their families lives.
"Testing and counseling play a critical role in HIV prevention by helping people to cope with the disease and avoid infecting others," he said.
He said the prevention of HIV needs a multi-faceted and integrated approach that could reach the widest possible number of people with a mix of information and services.
The fear of discrimination and stigma had prevented people from testing for HIV, Simwanza said.
He however pointed out that thanks to the availability of free treatment that allows people with HIV to continue living and feeling well for many years, there have been more people opting to be tested.
"The availability of treatment has generated hope because of an underlining close linkage between testing, treatment and prevention," Simwanza said.
Source: Xinhua
Zambia: An official with Zambia's National AIDS Council (NAC) has called on people to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) bemoaning the current level of testing rates for HIV in the country is too low to sufficiently combat the disease.
Program Director Alex Simwanza said it was important that many people know their status if the fight against HIV/AIDS were to be won.
"Currently, statistics show that despite our high sustained prevalence levels of HIV infection which is 16 percent, only 1.5 million of our (10 million) population have been tested, which is too low," Simwanza was quoted by Friday's The Post as saying.
"It is important that more people go for VCT and know their status so that whichever side they find themselves on, they will be able to take precautionary measures," Simwanza said.
"Knowledge in the fight against HIV/AIDS is power," he added.
Simwanza appealed to those who do not know their status to utilize the VCT Day that falls Friday and make a difference in their lives and their families lives.
"Testing and counseling play a critical role in HIV prevention by helping people to cope with the disease and avoid infecting others," he said.
He said the prevention of HIV needs a multi-faceted and integrated approach that could reach the widest possible number of people with a mix of information and services.
The fear of discrimination and stigma had prevented people from testing for HIV, Simwanza said.
He however pointed out that thanks to the availability of free treatment that allows people with HIV to continue living and feeling well for many years, there have been more people opting to be tested.
"The availability of treatment has generated hope because of an underlining close linkage between testing, treatment and prevention," Simwanza said.
Source: Xinhua
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 12:35 pm
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