A wide spectrum of organizations implementing community level HIV programmes have either halted or reduced their interventions in the face of insecurity posed by countrywide incidences of chemical gassing and the resultant instant mob justice on suspects. 

The development threatens Zambia’s goal of achieving epidemic control of HIV by the end of this year and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

And National AIDS Council Director General Connie Osborne has observed that while Zambia is doing fairly well on three UNAIDS led targets of testing 90 per cent of Zambians living with HIV, enrollment of 90 per cent of sero-positive clients on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and virally suppressing 90 percent of those on ART, more efforts were still needed to drastically reduce the number of new HIV infections from the current 43,000 to less than 5,000 per annum.

Zambia has in the recent past witnessed a spate of incidences of chemical gassing with a recorded number of 45 deaths of suspects killed by retaliating mobs.

As a consequence of the volatile situation, various organizations working in communities conducting HIV testing, follow-ups of clients on ART, dispensing of Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) condom programming and follow up of clients  who are unable to access ART services have either suspended or scaled down their activities until further notice.

One of the targets likely to be most affected by the disruption of services is viral load suppression as clients on ART will not be supported to adhere to treatment and those who are unable to access health facilities will not receive regular supplies of Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs.)

Speaking when she paid a courtesy call on JSI USAID DISCOVER Health in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Osborne said unless the annual HIV infections are reduced from the current 43,000 to less than 5,000 and sustained at that rate, it will not be possible for Zambia to attain epidemic control of HIV this year.

 “With the current high annual HIV infections, the three 90s will remain moving targets because of the ever expanding pool of new cases of infections. Unless we do away with business as usual approach, we will not achieve epidemic control,” Dr Osborne said.

She further called for the expansion of the multi-sectoral players in the national HIV response to include all public institutions and government ministries to step up the HIV prevention side of the response.

“The number of players in the multi-sectoral response of HIV has to be broadened to increase synergies around reducing new HIV infections to less than 5,000 per year and sustained at that rate,” Dr Osborne said.  

Meanwhile JSI USAID DISCOVER Health Project Director Dr Muka Chikuba-Mcleod pledged continued complementary HIV services to unserved areas to enable Government through the Ministry of Health achieve its goal of Universal Health Coverage.

Prepared by NAC Communications Unit