Pretoria - Today the face of HIV in Africa is a young girl with a baby on her back, who, when faced with the difficult choice of self-care versus child-care, will always sacrifice her health for her child.
This is according to Thanduxolo Doro from People Living with HIV Civil Society Leader and project management specialist for US Agency for International Development, who joined a group of experts who believe Africa could overcome HIV by 2030 if it focused on the most vulnerable groups.
With South Africa also recording worrying new infections among young people aged 15-19, experts believe to achieve epidemic control, priority must be given to key populations, including men who avoid seeking medical help.
The focus must be on identifying the remaining “last mile” barriers and vulnerable populations, including the most affected – teenage girls.
Nkosi Tshabalala, who co-hosted a webinar with top African HIV experts and BroadReach Health Development’s acting district director of Gert Sibande in Mpumalanga, said instead of just adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to HIV prevention and care, the focus mus be on communities with the highest prevalence.
“We must determine what we can do for them to address their health needs to reach viral suppression. This is the key to stopping further transmission of HIV by 2030.”
According to the recent Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids’s “In Danger” report, women and girls accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa, and six out of seven new infections among 15 to 19 year olds in the region were among girls.
Generally, girls are at greater HIV risk if they engage in sex at a very young age; when they do not have the power to negotiate condom-use; when they have multiple sexual partners; if they are repressed by gender-based violence; and if they have transactional relationships with sexual partners – all symptoms of the current economic environment.
Other key communities include sex workers, their clients, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and transgender people. Combined, they account for 70% of HIV infections globally and 51% of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa clinics.
Pretoria News