United Nations Population fund (UNFPA) regional Director for East and Southern Africa has called for universal Zero tolerance of HIV AIDS on adolescent girls and young women in Africa by 2030, saying the Agenda for sustainable development stipulates that no one should be left behind.
By Owami Sithole.
Speaking at International conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), Dr Julita Onabanjo said there is need to interrogate issues to do with accelerating the elimination of Adolescence and young women living with HIV AIDS and STIs in Africa.
“It is imperative to provide care for social gender norms that prevent them from accessing sexual and reproductive information and services and owning protecting their sexual healthy, she said.
This year’s theme was “Linking leadership, Science and Human Rights in the post 2015 era.
Her remarks come at a time when African governments including Zimbabwe have set targets to reduce on HIV AIDS infection among adolescence girls and young women aged 14-24 living with HIV AIDS by 2030.
The Zimbabwe government and its partners have embarked on various programmes meant to reduce HIV AIDS.
UNFPA has also maintained high level advocacy, which led to adoption of male circumcision by the combined uniformed forces.
In partnership with United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) the National Aids Council and Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, supported the national Aids Council surveillance which is conducted every two years and the data is used to measure the national HIV prevalence rate a national behavior change baseline survey .
Zimbabwe’s HIV decline study a comprehensive behavior change review process and a review of STI control aiming at improving evidence informed programming.
“Sub Saharan Africa women acquire HIV five to seven years earlier,”
According to the statistics from United Nations Population fund (UNPA) globally every year there are 380 new HIV infections among adolescence girls and young women. An estimated 80% of young aged 15-24 are living with HIV are in Sub Saharan Africa , and 47% of the new HIV are infections are among adolescence girls .
Dr Julitta Onabanjo went on to mention that there are various issues to be addressed in need of adolescence girls.
“Issues such as violence, child marriage, inability to negotiate safe sex and lack of sexual reproductive health information and services including lack of access to condoms, comprehensive sexuality education , hence HIV and AIDS testing , counselling and treatment increase adolescence girl ‘s vulnerability,” she said .
“Working together in partnership with men and boys squarely combat gender inequality and making communities safe and supportive for young women and girls,”
She added that keeping girls in school and ensuring that comprehensive sexuality education is a part of their schooling learning how they protect themselves from HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancy.
HIV remaining a fundamental threat to the African Continent, it continues to be predominantly transmitted sexually , linking sex and reproductive health and HIV interventions is a cost effective way to protect reproductive health and prevent HIV infection .
“As UNPFA we strongly supports greater investment in integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services, including the elimination of mother to child transmission which is so far in good progress in the region , in which last year elimination of mother to child transmission coverage reached 78% in the Eastern and Southern African region ,” said Dr Julitta Onabanjo.
“Much more of our focus indeed on HIV prevention is especially among young people and on family planning for women living with HIV, which leads to fewer HIV positive infants,” she said.
More so she called upon priority adequate finance on HIV prevention and management at central plank of global strategies to improve women‘s children and adolescents health.
“We celebrating our successes, it has been a long journey but we are on the verge of conquering, this is because between 2005 and 2013 new HIV infections among adults declined by more than 50% in Ethiopia Malawi and Rwanda , between 30% and 50% in Botswana , Eritrea, Namibia Tanzania South Africa , Swaziland ,Zambia and Zimbabwe ” said Dr Onabanjo
Overally new HIV infections in the region declined by 32% between 2005 and 2013.
“We need champions who speak out and encourage communities to reduce their risk take control and stop further transmission of virus , step up delivery of evidence based preventions programmes combining biomedical approaches such as provision of condoms and voluntary male circumcision , and structural change to tackle harmful laws and policies inequality poverty , violence , stigma and discrimination ,” said Dr Onabanjo.
UNPF is working to ensure people in humanitarian crisis, make key investments in the holistic development of adolescence through education physical and psychological health promote health and wellbeing.
“As founding cosponsor of the UN joint programme on HIV and ADIS , UNAIDS, UNFPA, we are committed to continuing to support national governments in reversing current trends on new HIV infections and AIDS related death among adolescence in Africa and around the world ,” she said .
