Health Correspondent
“The fight against HIV/AIDS is far from over, and we need to acknowledge the new challenges we’re facing,” said Hon. Prof. Paul Mavhima, Acting Minister of Health, at a recent workshop for editors and station managers.
The workshop, organized by the National AIDS Council (NAC), aimed to discuss the current state of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and the need for renewed efforts to combat the disease.
One of the guest speakers, a person living with HIV for over thirty years, shared their personal experience: “I’m not an expert on HIV/AIDS, but I’m an expert on living with HIV. I’ve seen how complacency, pride, arrogance, and indifference can affect the interventions being implemented in the fight against HIV.”
Complacency, they explained, comes from a sense of success, leading people to assume they’re healed and no longer need medication. “Many people discontinue taking vital medications when they notice signs of healing, making them drug-resistant later on.”
Pride, on the other hand, is caused by denial, with people believing they’re special and shouldn’t be HIV-positive. “They try to change their positive status to negative, but it’s impossible.”
Arrogance is a state of mind where people think they’re too special to be brought down by HIV, refusing to follow doctors’ prescriptions and breaking the rules of living with HIV. “They’re a headache for themselves and their families when they become ill.”
Indifference is a state of mind where people no longer care about their own lives or others. “They’re a dangerous lot, capable of committing any crime without fear of the consequences.”
The speaker emphasized the need for advocacy and support groups to encourage young people to get tested before getting married. “We need to remove the shame and embarrassment of taking HIV medication in public. People need to feel free to talk and take their ART wherever and whenever they feel like it.”
As Hon. Prof. Mavhima concluded, “We need to work together to address these new threats and win the war against HIV/AIDS by 2030.”
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