FOR the last few years Zambia like many other countries has been making serious efforts in trying to fight the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
A number of countries have made progress in combating the epidemic and attained reduction in the spread of the diseases and reduced incidences of HIV and AIDS.
But this does not mean that the disease has been contained. It still poses a serious threat to Zambia’s human and economic development.
Knowing the threat that the disease poses, the government has not sat back and watched without doing anything about it, but has involved various stakeholders to address the situation.
We therefore wish to commend government for its various efforts to ensure that it collaborates with the civil society and donors to make serious efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Only yesterday a community-based organisation dealing with vulnerable people and those living with HIV and AIDS commended Government for supplementing its efforts.
Luapula Redemption for Vulnerable and People Living with HIV and AIDS director Emmanuel Chopo says the organisation has a good working relationship with most Government departments in the area.
There is no doubt the government has provided leadership in the fight against the continued spread of HIV and AIDS which has left a trail of deaths and orphans in its wake.
Government and all other stakeholders especially donors and other civil society organisations must be commended for the efforts they have made to slow down the spread of the disease.
But much as we commend all these efforts that have been made and the progress to control the spread of the disease, we want to caution against any complacency.
We are saying so because HIV and AIDS still remains a major challenge and threat to human and economic development of Zambia and the rest of the world.
The ramifications of HIV and AIDS are all evident for the communities to see for themselves, which is why they have taken an active role in fighting it.
The economically active people in the age group 15-49 years have been the most effected.
This makes it imperative that Zambia should not relax and become complacent against the fight to stop the spread of the disease.
There is no doubt that Zambia has continued to record a steady decline in the spread of the HIV and AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STI) due to an increase in access to quality interventions.
According to the Ministry of Health’s National Health Strategic Plan (NHSP) of 2011 to 2016, the HIV and AIDS prevalence in the adult population had declined from 16 percent in 2002 to 14.3.
There are now only about 16 percent of females with HIV and AIDS and 12.3 percent of males living with this illness which shows a significant reduction in the disease, unlike in previous times when it was well above 20 percent.
But even these figures do not call for us to be complacent about this disease, but what we need is a concerted effort to ensure that it is eradicated.
HIV and AIDS still poses a serious threat to Zambia’s economic and social development and this means we must step up the fight against the spread of the pandemic.